X-tasy
by DelenaOrNothing
Summary: Nicole Walker has found herself single again, getting rid of baggage like Daniel Jonas. She's ready to take on the world with a new attitude and a new job. Will Xander pop back into her life to complicate things for her or make everything better?
1. A New Start

**Looks like I got inspired to write another fic, this time about Days of Our Lives and a new exciting bad-ass couple, Xander & Nicole. Thanks to all my Xcole girls who love them as much as I do. Bear with me this first chapter because I gotta lay the foundation for the story! **

**This fic starts about three months into the future from what's airing now in 2015. Besides this being about Xander and Nicole, it will loosley follow the show and I will probably use other characters from Days as need be, but most of the plot will have changed to suit my imagination because what's happening on the show now isn't going to end well for Xander & Nicole. So this is purely for fun and to bring Xcole into my fantasy world and my readers' fantasy world and for them to get their own fun and badass story. I hope you enjoy. Rated M for Mature, I'm sure.**

 **Please take time to send me a review at the end so I know you're enjoying it! Thank you.**

* * *

(Monday, August 31, 2015)

Nicole was restless as she felt the temperature in the air steadily rising in her room. She could feel the skin on her lower back start to sweat. She was half asleep, half awake, tossing beneath her sheets as she grasped for the glass of water she had left on her nightstand earlier. She was so thirsty that her half-assed attempt to grab the glass resulted in it slipping through her tired fingers and onto the floor below. She instantly sprung herself forward and started scrambling with her left hand to find the light switch on the tiny lamp next to her, blurting out expletives as she kept managing to over or undershoot her intended target again and again.

"Finally," she said exasperated as her finger felt the tiny knob on the lamp and proceeded to push it angrily, causing a sudden burst of light to pierce her sleepy eyes. She immediately squinted hard to avoid a direct hit but failed miserably. After she was able to gain focus again, she looked down to assess the spill. The glass was on its side and, except for a few inconsequential drops, the water had spilled onto the floor beneath her.

"Damn it, Nicole. You're not usually this clumsy."

She quickly rotated her bare legs from beneath her sheet and down to the floor. She gasped when she saw her phone lying in the puddle of water. She realized she must have inadvertently knocked it off when she was reaching for just one sip of water to quench her sudden 2 am. thirst, most likely due to her air conditioner cutting on and off all night.

"That damn landlord said the AC would be fixed before I moved in. Add him to my list of lying bastards."

As she scooped up her iPhone and frantically began to wipe it with her bed sheet, she now began to have a heated conversation with it.

"Not you too. Couldn't you have just stayed put on the nightstand like a good little phone? Why is it that everything in my life goes to shit?"

Then she took a deep breath and remembered what today was and tried to shake off her negativity, "Well, not today it doesn't."

With her mind still wandering to the proverbial black cloud that seemed to follow her around, Nicole began to rehash in her mind the never-ending losing predicament she had put herself in all these years by trying to be a better person, a different person, and in the process losing the essence of who she was. She had spent too much damn time trying to be something she wasn't and trying to help people who obviously never wanted her help. She was tired of apologizing for being who she was. She had fought tooth and nail to get where she was and to survive her dreaded abusive past at the hands of her father. She had grown tired of it being thrown back in her face as if it was her fault. Through gossip and lies, somehow her being forced into pornography as a child turned into her voluntarily becoming a "porn star," in essence, blaming the victim. She was sick of the backhanded comments and jokes and was not going to put up with it anymore.

She was now on her own, by choice, and ready to face her life head on. So much had happened the past few months. Nicole thought back to the whole diamond mess and how it all blew up. It had turned into such a fiasco. Xander turned out to be an informant for the FBI trying to work off multiple federal charges he had pending, most of which involved doing Uncle Vic's dirty work and taking the blame for all of it. He agreed to work with the FBI to bring down the diamond smuggling ring and to do so, he had to infiltrate himself into that world and, with his questionable past, it wasn't a task that was hard to do.

Serena, on the other hand, hadn't been the innocent scared victim she had been portraying. She had been involved up to her eyeballs. Nicole kicked herself for not trusting her first instinct when it came to that woman, but Eric had convinced her Serena was this perfect specimen and that Nicole needed to mind her own damn business. Serena had been dealing all along with the diamond smugglers willingly and freely and Xander was only in it to help bring them down. In the end, when all hell broke loose, Serena tried to point the finger at Xander, claiming he forced her into it and cried victim, but Xander managed to get her admitting her guilt along with her partner on a wire.

Of course, Nicole didn't know any of this at the time she wrote her expose, that damn expose she wishes she had never written. Dan was in one ear warning Nicole her life was in danger and Xander was going to hurt her and Serena was in the other ear telling her he'd kill her for knowing too much. So she dug up all the dirt she could on him and cut off all communication with Xander before he could tell her the truth. She exposed his past crimes, his present dealings in the supposed diamond smuggling ring and it got published in the newspaper. And in the meantime, Serena's partner managed to evade arrest and put a hit out on Xander, according to the FBI, and so he had to flee the country and she hadn't seen him since. That was almost three months ago. It didn't matter that she immediattely wrote a retraction when she learned the truth because Xander was already long gone.

She actually felt very bad for thinking the worst of him, as others always did to her, and she never got to apologize for her part in all of it. She'd played with his emotions to try to get the dirt on him and he developed genuine feelings for her and she wasn't so sure she hadn't begun to do the same. Yes, he was a bad boy with a past, but who is she to judge, and he was nothing she couldn't handle. Hell, she had a thing for bad boys. But when it came right down to it, he had actually treated her with respect the whole time she had been around him, something she hadn't experienced for a long time. But it didn't matter now, he was gone and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I miss my brother," Nicole blurted out. "I can't stand most of the sanctimonious people in this town. Why am I even still living here? Why do I put myself through this? I deserve better than this town, the same town who holds Sami "Who's My Baby Daddy" Brady out to be a good mother. As fucking if, Bitch. If it wasn't for my new job, I'd be out of here."

Nicole tried to power on her phone with no avail. "Oh, well, it's not like anyone is going to call me anyway." Nicole flashed back to the messy breakup she had with Daniel months ago after the whole diamond scandal came to a head.

"He never even apologized for accusing me of sleeping with Xander. What a self-righteous prick sucker."

She had finally gotten tired of the constant slut-slamming and him always thinking the worst of her and she couldn't take it anymore. She moved out of his shitty apartment and moved into her own shitty apartment. Daniel wanted so much from her but he never gave her anything back but grief, more grief, and negative and condescending comments concerning every move she made. She was better without him. She felt better. Free, even.

"I'm so done with goodie-goodie mama's boys who want some perfect picture girl. She doesn't exist, morons, and that's why you're in your 40's and not married because you're looking for perfection when you're not all that to begin with. Learn to aim lower, losers."

Suddenly her mind began to wander to happier times and a happier Nicole, a time where Pookie was still alive and she could breathe snark and just cut loose for the sake of it with no restrictions on her behavior. She opened her side dresser drawer and pulled out an old, slightly torn picture of EJ. She had forgotten until that very moment she had left in there.

"Damn you, EJ, why did you have to go back to Sami, the bitch who shot you in the head and never wanted you until you were with me? We could have had it all. I hate you for dying on me and leaving me with these people who don't get me like you used to. Yes, we weren't perfect, but our imperfections worked perfect together. We didn't judge each other because we knew we were damaged goods. You were my damaged goods, damn it. I loved sharing in our triumphs over the jerks of Salem and never having to say sorry for it. You had my back when you had it. When you stabbed me in it, I hated you because I still loved you. I knew Sami would never have made you happy in the long run. She didn't know you like I did and accept you, faults and all, like I did. I loved your faults – most of the time anyway. I just know Sami would have ended up back with Lucas or Rafe because she didn't get people like us. Sanctimonious home-wrecking bitch."

Somewhere between the conversation with her phone and the sanctimonious home-wrecking bitch comment, Nicole fell back to asleep. She woke up to the sound of her alarm and an excruciating headache.

"Ow, my head is kicking my ass."

Nicole got up, went into the kitchen searching for some Tylenol. She found the bottle after a painstakingly long endeavor searching for it. She took three and drank a whole glass of water. She went back in her room, jumped in a hot bath and tried to soak her headache away. She knew she couldn't miss the first day on her new job: President in charge of Publishing at Titan, a job she used to have many years ago. A string of terrible events happened since then, but now Nicole had the chance to begin her career over. Victor Kiriakis had a stroke after Maggie, who couldn't live without Melanie, left him to go live with her in another town. Brady, heartbroken over Melanie, started drinking again and, in the midst of all of that, his child got sick and suddenly died and he had pretty much checked out since then. Nicole had been by to see him several times but he refused to see her or anyone. Well, when Philip Kiriakis came back to care for his ailing father, he was compelled to stay and help him run the company. He cleaned house, firing a lot of high-paid non-productive executives, leaving jobs that needed to be filled.

By that time, Nicole had broken up with Daniel, quit her job as a reporter and needed a new start and decided to apply. She was done with reporting and butting into the lives of people she didn't care about. She wanted a new career or wanted her old one back. She knew she could do the job from her days working at Titan and being Vice-President of Austin Reed and Company, and all that PR work she did for EJ's mayoral campaign gave her quite the resume. Philip found himself hardpressed not to recognize her impressive qualifications and hired her on the spot and gave her the chance that most wouldn't.

"Hell, if Sami could become an executive overnight with no college, no experience, and no sense, then I sure as hell can do it with my qualifications."

Nicole jumped out of the tub, threw on a bathrobe and sat down in front of her mirror.

"Up or down?" she said as she held her hair in her hands. Her hair had grown a couple of inches in the last few months and was hanging below her ears now.

"I think down."

She blew her hair dry and started applying her make-up. Everything was done except choosing her shade of lipstick. She got up and went to her closet and grabbed the white silk blouse and black pin-striped suit she decided to wear for her first day of work.

"Come to mama," she smiled as she shook her head rather pleased with herself.

As she laid the suit along the edge of her bed and began to pull off her robe, she heard a faint knock on her front door. She thought of ignoring it when she heard it again.

"It's 6:00 in the morning. Who in their right mind would ever think I'd be up at this ungodly hour? I didn't tell anyone about my new job...well, because it's nobody's business," she said as she snapped her fingers, finding herself very pleased with her new-found independence.

"Oh, crap, it's probably the landlord asking for that security deposit I never gave him."

She thought about not answering it, but now with her new job and title, she knew she could convince him she was good for it and decided to answer it. She tightened up her robe and proceeded to the door.

As she moved closer to the door, she began talking before her hand hit the knob. "I'll give you what you want, you just have to wait a little longer..."

As the door flung open, her mouth responded in kind, as she looked up at the last person she expected to see.

"I can wait as long as you'd like, sweetheart," his familiar accent rang in her ears.

As she stood there shocked, speechless and naked underneath her robe, she couldn't help thinking he was far more handsome than she remembered.

"Cat got your tongue, Nicole?" Xander said as he cracked a sexy smile aimed right in her direction.


	2. Honey, I'm Home

"Xander?"

"In the flesh."

"What – what are you doing here? I thought you were gone for good."

"I just had to lay low for a while until Serena's partner was caught and arrested. Now that that's handled and I got probation for my previous charges on account of my substantial assistance, I'm officially a free man."

"So it's over?" she sighed.

"It's over."

"I'm happy for you, Xander."

"Are you?"

"Of course I am. I just didn't know I'd ever get the chance to tell you. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Is that what you want?"

"No, it's not. I just thought you hated me for what I did."

"Hate is a strong word, Nicole."

"Well, do you?" she asked.

"Do I what?"

"Do you hate me?"

"No, Nicole, I don't hate you. If I did, why would I be here?"

"Well, you could be here to kill me," she blurted out sarcastically.

"I'd never touch a hair on your head. You know that, don't you?"

She sized up his expression and could sense his sincerity.

"I do know that...now. I just thought..."

"Say it, Nicole. You thought what?"

"I'd be the last person you'd ever want to see again."

"You obviously thought wrong." His faint smile put her at ease.

"I just want to apologize to you for treating you so badly, Xander."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. I'm really sorry."

"It's forgotten, now deal with it," he said matter of factly.

"Wow, I figured you would have long forgot about me."

"You really need to give yourself more credit, Nicole."

"What do you mean?"

"A woman like you isn't easily forgotten, even if there is thousands of miles between us."

She stood there contemplating what to say to his admission, but was completely tongue-tied. He apparently hadn't lost his touch in the flattery department by no means.

"Wait, how did you find me anyway?"

"I stopped by Daniel's hoping to see you and he told me y'all had broke up. He didn't seem very happy to see me, even with his half-assed apology claiming he 'might' have been wrong about me. He wrote down your address, said, 'Good luck, pal, you're gonna need it,' and slammed the door in my face."

"Screw him. The best decision I ever made was breaking up with him."

"Oh, you broke up with him?"

"You're damn right I did. He didn't tell you otherwise, did he?"

"Oh, no, he left out the part where you dumped him," he said cracking a smile.

"I deserved better."

"I'm glad you finally realized that."

"Me, too."

"He really was a dick to you, Nicole."

"Lesson learned. If I ever get in another relationship again, it's not gonna be with someone like him."

"It's a good thing I'm nothing like him," he mouthed with a flirtatious grin.

"Xander, are you trying to flirt with me?"

"If you have to ask, I've lost my touch."

"No, I think your touch is just fine." _Yeah, that didn't sound forward, Nicole._

"Well...?" he inquired raising his eyebrow.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh, yes...I mean, oh, no. I completely forgot, I'm really sorry - and please don't take this the wrong way - but this is not a good time at all."

She quickly turned her head to check out the clock in the kitchen and turned back to him.

She noticed his relaxed demeanor stiffened slightly as he stood up straight in the doorway.

"Do you think maybe you could come back when -"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have company?" he said as his head drifted to the left over her shoulder trying to see inside her apartment.

"What? Huh?" she fumbled over her words as she saw the disappointed look begin to creep on his face.

"I should have called first. Pardon me," he apologized as he started to turn to leave.

"Xander, wait."

He stopped dead in his tracks but didn't turn to look at her.

"No, I don't have company, silly." He immediately turned his head back toward her.

"It's just I start a new job today and I can't be late on my first day."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? I didn't mean to hold you up." His face swiftly perked up. "I've got somewhere I need to be as well but I just wanted to drop by to let you know I was in town."

"Oh, are you staying?"

"That's the plan."

She felt an overwhelming sense of something, but she couldn't figure out if it was going to be good or bad for her.

"So are you not working as a reporter anymore?"

"Hell, no, the people in this town don't want to read the news when they're too busy making the news."

She paused as she realized what she'd just said.

"Xander, I'm sorry about that whole expose in the paper. I did a retraction, but you were already gone and the damage was already done. I know what it's like to be judged and humiliated for your past and I -"

"Nicole, it's done. I've never been one to worry about my reputation or what others think of it. I'm the one who has to live with my choices. I've gotten myself into the predicaments I'm in trying to prove myself to no avail. You've met my family. Business is everything to them. They've always treated me like an outsider. That's the part that's hard to swallow when I've bent over backwards for them and risked my own ass. But I am my own person and I take responsibility for the poor choices I've made, some of which I don't even regret. I'm a bit of a jump into things before I think about them kind of person. I get bored easy and that can get me into trouble."

"You and me both," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing."

"I just have to learn to live with the fact that the Daniels and Bradys of the world will always get respect and I won't."

"I know a thing about dysfunctional families. Let's just say I'd never win daughter of the year but I had a bastard for a father and the things he made me do -"

Nicole stopped in her tracks. She didn't quite know why she was opening up this way to Xander about a subject she'd rather never have to remember again and hadn't come up with anyone in years. She just felt a connection with Xander she couldn't explain, but it was there, and it was so easy for her to open up to him.

"Nicole, are you okay?"

"Sorry, old wounds, you know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She let out a resounding breath. "Not really."

"You sure?"

"It's not important. Anyway, so you're staying in town indefinitely?" she quickly changed the subject.

"I've got some business in town to attend to, but I want to make things up to you, Nicole, when you have the time, of course."

"What on earth for? I almost got you killed with my big mouth."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I –"

"Nicole, no, you didn't. I had gotten myself into trouble all on my own and you didn't know me from a hill of beans so how would you have ever guessed I was working undercover. I don't blame you for anything you've done."

"Well, if you want to let me off the hook so easily, who I am I to try to stop you?"

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not used to being let off the hook?"

"Xander, this is Salem, home to Hypocrites Are Us. Getting let off the hook takes years, honey, even decades."

"Well, maybe you should leave this town."

"Believe me, I've thought about it."

"What's stopping you?"

"My, you're very direct, aren't you?'

"Direct and to the point. Is there any other way?"

Nicole started feeling a little flush and a lot turned on by the way his words seemed to seduce her thoughts. She finally realized she'd been standing there talking with Xander for 15 minutes.

"I really need to finish getting ready."

"What on earth for? You look gorgeous."

"I'm in a robe, Xander."

"You are? I hadn't noticed. I haven't been able to take my eyes off of that face of yours."

"You're so full of shit. But flattery will get you everywhere."

"Then flattery is all you'll ever get from me."

There was a few seconds of silence between them as they looked at each other almost daring the other to make a move. It was like they had picked up where they left off before things went south.

"I'll call you later, Nicole. Knock 'em dead."

Nicole closed the door, ran into her room, applied her lipstick of choice, a shade of red to pop with her outfit, and threw on her suit. Because she was running late, she decided to sweep her hair up in a clip and go.

* * *

Nicole rode the elevator to the top floor, adjusting her skirt and jacket a few times nervously.

"You've got this. Take a deep breath. It's like riding a bike."

The sound of the elevator doors rang in her ears as the doors began to open. She stepped out of the elevator when suddenly all eyes were on her. She hadn't been inside Titan in ages and certainly never thought she'd be again, but she had an overwhelming sense of pride knowing everyone sitting in the secretarial pool staring at her had to be envious of her title and her killer heels. She passed through with her head held high and headed down the hallway where her office was supposed to be.

"Last door on the left. Isn't that what Philip said? Or was it the right?"

Nicole decided to give left a go when she came face to face with Philip in the threshold of the door.

"7:01. You're cutting it close your first day, aren't you, Ms. Walker?"

Philip Kiriakis hadn't been in Salem for a few years. He looked good, better than good. His gray suit fit in all the right places. He still had his boyish good looks but he felt older in a very distinguished way. _Meow_.

"Come on, Philip...or should I call you Mr. Kiriakis...or maybe boss?"

"Philip is fine."

"Well, then you can call me Nicole. Ms. Walker is a bit too formal, don't you think? I was your stepmother once, you know."

"How could I forget?" Philip began to crack a smile and held out his hand. "It's good to have you here, Nicole."

"Back at you, Phil. And I appreciate you giving me this job. I'll work hard. I promise you."

"I'm sure you will, because I won't have it any other way."

"Uh, so is this your office?" she said nonchalantly as she tried to look past him into the room.

"Yes, it is. Yours is right across the hall."

"Oh, right. I knew that."

"Well, why don't you put your things down and meet me in the conference room down the hall. I want to introduce you to the rest of the team."

"Okay, thanks. I'll be right there."

Nicole opened the door to her office and stepped inside. The wall-to-wall glass filled the room with light. She had a corner office bigger than the size of her apartment. Her desk was a dark mahogany wood situated in the center toward the back of the room. To the left was a seating area equipped with couch, two recliners, and a coffee table with the biggest, brightest assortment of flowers she had ever seen. She had her own bathroom with a shower to the far right corner and a mini bar to the right of that.

"What kind of business are they running here? I could live in this office." Suddenly a light bulb went off in her head. "Oh, wait, I get it. That's the point. Nice office, nice amenities equal longer hours. We'll see about that, Philip."

Nicole put down her briefcase on her shiny new desk, which she knew had to cost more than her car, and quickly realized her faded briefcase had no business in an office as nice as this.

"Note to myself. Buy a new very expensive briefcase after you get paid."

Nicole walked out of her office and down the hall. She walked tall and with confidence but was prepared for the stares and the rolling eyes. She was sure the good ol' boys at Titan would think she got this job by sleeping with the CEO. She opened the door and the room was full of suits. She was delighted that no one had seen her walk in and they continued with their conversation. Suddenly, Nicole felt a hand on her shoulder from behind.

"I'm glad you're here," Philip said as he whisked by her straight to the head of the table.

"Attention everyone. I'd like you to meet someone."

Nicole froze in her tracks as Philip waved her over.

"I'd like you all to meet the new President of Publications. Some of you may or may not know, but Ms. Walker" -

"Nicole," she whispered in his direction.

"Nicole," his voice fluctuated - "worked here many years ago and was a valued employee. We are excited to have her back."

"Hello, everyone. I hope to get to know each and every one of you individually."

Most of the men gawked and raised their brows while smiling and panting. _Perverts._ And the two older, uptight-looking women just rolled their eyes and whispered to each other. _Jealous Bitches._

"Nicole will be working with some of you, but she'll mainly be working side by side with – wait a minute. Where is our Vice-President of Publishing?"

"I'm right here. Sorry I'm late," a voice called out from the door.

Nicole's jaw dropped and, on reflex, she ducked behind Philip as Xander walked through the door. She ever so slightly looked over Philip's shoulder to see which direction Xander was heading.

Philip stepped away from Nicole and walked up to Xander a few feet away.

"Xander, you're late and on your first day."

"It won't happen again. I had an urgent matter that needed attending to."

 _Ooh, I must have been his urgent matter._

"All right. Just don't let me down. With my dad and Brady out of commission, I need you. This is a family company. I am a believer in second chances and this is yours."

"I truly understand. I'm here and I'm ready to work."

"Well, then let me re-introduce you to someone who you'll be working with closely."

"Re-introduce?"

As Philip turned his shoulder, Xander immediately caught a clear view of Nicole standing behind Philip a few feet away. All she could do was shrug her shoulders and greet him with a smile.

"Xander, I think you're acquainted with Nicole Walker, am I right?" Philip inquired.

"Nicole?"

"Xander," she nodded.

"What are you doing here?" he said with a very particularly surprised and not so comfortable look on his face.

"This is my new job. Surprise."

"Surprise?" his voice shot upward.

"Yeah, surprise. I'm kinda your boss." _Did I just say boss to Xander at a moment like this? Shit._

"Well, I'll leave y'all to get reacquainted," Philip smirked as he walked off and motioned quietly for everyone to clear the room.

"You knew about this?" Xander asked in a elevated tone.

"No, no, I had no idea. I'm as surprised as you are. I guess Philip read that expose."

"Let's be serious, shall we? Everyone in this town has read it, Nicole."

"Look, Xander, this doesn't have to be a bad thing, does it?"

"Doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't. Look, I may be President and you might be under me, but we can work together. It's not like I'm going to boss you around or make you stay late or anything."

Xander sat there not saying a word.

"Come on, we could make a great team. Give it a chance."

Still no response from Xander.

"Come on, say something."

"I'm still visualizing that comment about how I'm, what did you say, under you?"

"Don't think of it that way. Philip told me we'd be working very closely on projects on a day-to-day basis."

She tried to gauge what he was thinking and how he was going to react when something seemed to dawn on him and his mood changed immediately.

"Well, maybe this job has its privileges after all. Working 'closely' with you" - his eyes began to scan her body up and down -"day...in...and...day...out, huh?"

"Hey, no funny business on the clock. We are working together now. This job is important to me and I'm sure it is to you so we have to set some ground rules."

"I love rules, especially when I can break them."

"Xander, stop it," she said cracking a smile. "You can't flirt with me at work."

"Then maybe you should've wore a different shade of lipstick."

"Xander, no shenanigans, got it?"

"Look, you're over me, remember, so if anyone's gonna be sexually harassing anyone it's you, darling."

"Nobody's gonna be doing any sexual harrassing."

"If you say so." His sexy smirk was all kinds of devious.

"What about off the clock?" he threw out as a suggestion, not giving up.

"What about it?"

"If we're not on the clock, does that mean you can be under me?"

"Oh, Xander, when you get to know me better, you'll know I always like to be on top." _Oh, God, did I just say that? I'm breaking my own rule already._

Nicole suddenly noticed they were alone in the room and had no idea when everyone dispersed, but she was just glad that no one was listening in on their little play by play.

"So since we got that handled, I'm going back to my office to admire it some more and then check my schedule on my computer."

Nicole began to walk out of the office.

"Oh, how I'd like to handle you," he whispered under his breath.

"What was that?" Nicole turned around as she reached the door.

"You never answered my question, Nicole."

"Which question?"

"Is off the clock off limits too?"

"Xander, we just talked -"

"No, you specifically said no funny business on the clock, am I right?"

"Yes, I did say that, but what I "meant" to say is now that we're working together - she closed the gap between them and was standing in front of him again - "don't you think it's best we don't mix business with pleasure?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Nicole exhaled. "I just started this job and Philip trusts me -us - and I don't want to do anything that seems inappropriate now that we're working together. Do you understand?"

"If that's the way it's gotta be, Nicole," he said as his chin fell to his chest, disappointment setting in.

"I'm sorry, but it does. We have to focus on the job right now."

"Whatever you want." His eyes were still fixated on the floor avoiding eye contact as an out-stretched hand appeared before him.

"So it's settled then, huh?" Nicole put her outstretched hand closer to him awaiting a response.

"I guess it is," he said as he reluctantly but graciously shook her hand and then she walked toward the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she turned around swiftly, him thinking maybe she'd changed her mind.

His head turned toward her as his eyes grew hopeful. "Yes, Nicole?"

"I'm glad you're back," she smiled as she disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

 **Remember, I love to hear your comments to know you're liking the story. Throw your review into the box below if you have the time! Thanks. I appreciate you taking time to read my little fanfic!**


	3. What's For Dinner?

A very tired Nicole couldn't get into her apartment fast enough. She had worked a 12-hour day and was ready to relax. It didn't matter that her apartment was only 800 square feet, it was hers, and right now it had her bed in it and it was calling her name. She just wanted to get out of her work clothes, into a hot bath and straight into bed. It had been a long but productive first day with meeting after meeting and getting reacquainted with the ins and outs of the job. So much had changed since she had last been there, including her age, and she wanted to learn as much as she could to keep up and prove herself.

She slipped off her heels, took off her jacket and suddenly realized she was starving. _Did I even eat today?_

She sprinted toward the fridge, flung it open and gasped with disappointment. Staring in front of her was a lot of nothing, just remnants of half-eaten food, a bottle of wine, and nothing much else. As she stood there barefoot, her mind wandered straight to Xander. After their semi-confrontation in the conference room, she'd only run into him once all day when he dropped by her office to give her a file he was working on. All he managed to say to her was, "You might want to look at this, Ms. Walker," and then nodded and walked right out of her office and proceeded to be invisible the rest of the day. It had seemed he had mastered being professional with no problem at all.

She wasn't sure why that bothered her so much. She set the ground rules. She knew it would be better this way. What would it look like if she was fooling around with someone in the company when she just got hired, especially someone that that was technically her subordinate. Oh, the dilemma. She knew it wasn't going to be easy keeping things completely professional with Xander when she hadn't stopped thinking about him since the moment he showed up at her door that morning looking like a lost puppy, a very, very cute and playful one. She hadn't realized how much she missed him until she saw him again.

"I can't believe I forgot to go to the grocery store. I'm starving. I guess I'm gonna have to go to the pub and get me a roast beef sandwich."

Nicole slipped back on her heels but opted not to put back on her jacket and headed toward the door. As the door flung open, she was immediately startled and jumped, grabbing onto the door frame.

"Oh, my God, you scared me half to death. What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like. I brought dinner."

Standing there, looking as edible as the Chinese containers he had in his hand was Xander.

 _How come he gets better looking every time I see him?_ she thought as she tried to fight herself from gazing at him like a school girl.

"Well, are you going to invite me in this time?"

"Xander, I thought we talked about this. I don't -"

"Have you eaten yet?"

Nicole took a deep breath and rolled her eyes in defeat. "No, I haven't. I was actually on my way out to grab me something. I forgot to go shopping."

"See, I saved you the trouble of having to go back out tonight."

"I still don't think it's such a good idea."

"What, to eat?"

"No, to let you in."

"Well, I'm sorry if you can't control youself around me, Nicole -"

"I can control myself just fine."

"Then prove it. Have dinner with me."

Nicole stood there still weighing the pros and cons. _What are the cons again?_

"Look, you worked all day and you didn't even stop to eat lunch."

"How do you know that? Were you checking up on me?"

"More like checking in, and you never left your desk."

"I meant to, but I lost track of time."

"Well, let's not make a big deal of it. I just stopped and got this Chinese on the way home and I knew I couldn't possibly eat all of this and thought maybe, just maybe, there was a slim chance you'd wanna eat this with a very considerate, non-pushy fella like myself. I knew you had a long day and I just thought I'd make things easier for you, no strings attached. But if you'd rather I go, I will."

"It does smell pretty good."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"And I am starving."

"And we can't have you starving, now can we?" he smirked.

"I suppose not." _He's making me hungry for something else, goddamnit. Stop looking at me like that. No, don't._

"So, Ms. Third Degree, are you gonna let me in or am I taking my food to go?"

"Okay, Okay, I'll let you in on one condition."

"I'll play. What is your condition?"

"That you promise to keep your hands to yourself." _You're an idiot, Nicole. Remind me to slap myself in the face later._

"I'll be a perfect gentleman, I promise. Of course, if that's what you want."

"Very cute."

"Will you be keeping your hands to yourself as well?" he winked, thinking he was being clever.

"Of course I will." _Lord knows I don't want to.  
_

"Pity. I just thought I'd ask because I would not restrict hand movement at all on your part."

"Xander!"

"Joking. Sorry. I can be rather forward if I want to be."

"Really?" she said shaking her head back and forth.

"But I accept your condition."

"Good. So just the food, right?"

Xander exhaled loudly as he leaned in closer to Nicole. "No, Nicole, I'm here for the sex I'm going to have with you against that wall right there, so let me in."

Nicole's eyes widened as she bit her lip hard while imagining that clear picture he just embedded in her head.

"Of course for the food. Do you always interrogate your visitors like this?"

"I'm so sorry, I'm acting like a crazy person. Come in."

As Xander walked in, he looked around her small apartment, and put the Chinese on the kitchen counter.

"See, keeping my hands to myself, crazy lady, as promised."

"Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to change out of these clothes. By the way, we'll have to eat on the couch. As you can see, I have no dining room or dining area or much of anything else in here."

"Do you even have a bedroom?"

"Yes, I do have one of those. Why do you wanna know?"

"No reason," he answered. "Just for future reference," he added under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I wondered if you wanted a beverage."

"Oh, there's some wine in the fridge. You can't miss it. It's about the only thing in there. Why don't you pour us a glass."

"I'll do that. Take your time."

* * *

"God, that was so good. I can't believe how hungry I was."

"I can't either," Xander teased.

"Very funny," she said as she smacked his arm.

"Already touching me I see," he playfully said.

Nicole put down her empty box on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch, laying her arm over the back of it.

"Thank you for this, Xander. It was really thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome."

"I didn't mean to make such a big deal out of it," she said.

"Are you always going to make it this difficult for me to get inside your apartment?" he grinned.

"Maybe, maybe not," she raised her eyebrow at him.

"You just have a very naughty mind, young lady."

"I do not." _I so do._

"You didn't think I could keep my hands to myself, did you?"

"I'll admit, you've been very well-behaved." _Why am I so disappointed?_

Xander suddenly began to lean toward her, reaching his hand toward her face. "You've got a little something" -

"A little what?" she said as she looked down at his approaching hand.

At that moment, his thumb made contact with the side of her mouth wiping away a little sauce.

"That's what I get for eating so fast." Nicole nervously wiped her mouth and quickly stood up. She grabbed the empty boxes off of the coffee table fumbling a bit.

"Why don't you let me do that, Nicole."

"No, I've got it. You brought the food. I'll clean it up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. Don't get up. I've got this."

"Can I at least pour you another glass of wine while you're doing that?"

"I don't know if I should. It's getting late and we've got an early day tomorrow."

"So no then?" he said slowly trying to gauge if she'd change her mind.

"Okay, one small glass and that's it."

She scurried off into the kitchen while taking a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. _Why does he make me so anxious? I've been with plenty of men before. What is it about him that makes me so friggen nervous? Is it because he's so straightforward in saying what he wants? I haven't been this nervous since –_ She shut off her thoughts, trying to block her mind from saying his name, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking it. EJ. He was the last man who made her this nervous because he wasn't shy about showing her how he felt or pursuing her. She finally realized why it hurt so bad when EJ left, because he was the only man who truly made her feel important and loved in the way she deserved. Daniel and Eric were always about her chasing them and trying to get them to love her. And now with Xander, everything felt so natural, but it terrified her. She had been down this road before and she wasn't ready to crash and burn again, not yet.

"Xander, I think we better -" before she could finish her sentence, her eyes met Xander and she took a deep breath and held it. There he was sitting rather comfortably in the corner of her couch with his foot resting on his knee, his right arm resting on the top of the couch and a glass of wine in his left hand.

"We better what?" His seductive voice rung in her ears.

"Never mind." She let out her breath as she made her way over to him on the couch, sitting further than arm's reach.

"Are you quite all right, Nicole? You look flushed."

"I'm fine, maybe just a little tired."

"I'm sorry. I should let you lie down."

"What?"

"What?" he immediately responded wondering what he said wrong.

"Or maybe I should go so you can get some sleep."

Nicole thought long and hard about what he just said. She knew she should go to bed, let him leave, and leave it at that, but she wasn't ready to see him go.

"I'm fine. Is that my glass of wine?"

"Oh, yes, it is." Xander's hand reached out to Nicole and Nicole's hand reached out to his, but there was still space between them. Before she could do anything, he got up and walked over to her at the other end of the couch and stood over her, holding his hand out to her with the glass of wine.

"Here you go, love."

Nicole grabbed for the glass and touched Xander's hand in the brief exchange. She felt an electricity move through her as he sat down beside her.

"Xander, I just want to apologize again for treating you the way I did in the end. You were nothing but a perfect gentleman to me."

"Water under the bridge. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"I don't know," she said under her breath.

Xander grabbed Nicole's free hand and held it in his. She reacted by taking a gulp of her wine and swallowing it hard.

"But since you brought it up, there is one thing I would like to know," he said as he squeezed her hand gently.

"What is it you want to know?"

"Was it all pretend?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not naive. I know you were in love with Daniel at the time or so you said and I thought you had feelings for me too but after everything that happened, I'm not so sure. Were there ever feelings there on your part?"

"Xander, things are different now. We're working together. We can't go back to -"

"It's not about going backward. It's about moving forward and moving on. I just need to know if any of it was real."

"Why does it even matter now? It won't make a difference."

Xander let go of Nicole's hand and cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand as she looked away from him.

"Please, look at me, Nicole. Please."

She hesitated ever so slightly but then relented. Her eyes met his again as she saw the desperation in his.

"I promise you, whatever your answer is, I'm okay with it. I just need to hear you say it."

"Say what, Xander?"

"The truth, that's all I want."

"And no matter what that is, you'll accept it and move on?"

"I will," he said without hesitation.

"And if it's not what you want to hear, you'll still be able to work side by side with me at Titan as co-workers?"

"Well, I hope we can at least be friends, too, Nicole, if nothing else."

"You do?" she said breathlessly.

"Of course I do. I want you in my life, Nicole, any way I can have you. Haven't I made that perfectly clear from the beginning?"

"Why do you say such sweet things to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Things that I never get to hear, things that I've said to other people but have never been said to me."

"That's because you haven't found the right guy."

"Well, where the hell is he?"

He exhaled loudly. "Well, I would say I'm right here, but I don't think that would help our situation right now, do you?"

Xander felt Nicole soften as she looked deep into his eyes and let out a resounding breath and then took his hand and removed it from her cheek.

"Do you want me to go?" he said as he licked his lips, praying she'd say no but hearing no response from her.

 _Oh, no, not the damn lip licking, not now, when I'm doing everything in me to resist him_. _Why am I even trying? What are you doing, Nicole?_

"I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I'll just go, because right now being this close to you...without touching you the way I wanna touch you...is driving me insane."

That was the final straw. Before she knew it, her lips were on his. She didn't know what got into her but she could no longer sit there and do nothing. His direct approach finally seduced her in such a way she had to repay him in some way. He had melted down all of the walls she had tried to put up and his lips had teased her far too long with every sexually stimulating word that flew out of them. She was left with no choice but to give in for just one brief moment and just let go. How much was she supposed to take of his playful and tempting charms without reacting to them?

The warmth of his lips consumed her body as his lips immediately responded to hers. It only took him a second to take control of the situation and of her, and she had absolutely no objections to his brand of control. _Holy shit,_ she screamed inside _._ His uncontrolled breathing only made her desire him that much more as his tongue slid deeper and more aggressively into her waiting mouth. His body had reacted in kind and pressed up against hers while his hands caressed the back of her neck and his fingers ran through her hair excitedly.

"Mmm, Nicole," was all he mumbled breathlessly as his hands slipped down to hold onto her face as he took full advantage of the opening she had given him. His kiss had knocked her clear off her feet and she couldn't feel anything but the affect it had on her, this very seductive, passionate, mind-numbing kiss that had awoken all of her senses and then some.

Seconds or minutes passed, neither was paying attention, and everything suddenly grew quiet and very still for a moment. All of a sudden reality clicked in because they both stopped, but not before they noticed they were lying on top of each other, their clothes rumpled, hair disheveled, half on and half off the couch.

"Well..." Nicole said looking up at Xander, still breathless and practically panting, as she lied beneath him.

He leaned down, and softly kissed her bottom lip and just lingered there breathlessly. He didn't know if this would be the last kiss he'd have with her or if the dreaded "that was a mistake" was about to come and so he didn't want it to end. He wanted to prolong it as long as he could. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"You're so beautiful, Nicole."

Xander appreciated the beauty beneath him a few seconds more but realized he couldn't stay like this forever and so he kissed her flush cheek tenderly and then whispered gently in her ear. "I'm sorry. I just got carried away."

He reluctantly pulled himself up and got off of her and sat down on the couch beside her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, Xander."

Xander didn't say a word because he knew the impending doom that was coming.

"But I wanted to," she admitted.

"You did?" he sat up straight, surprised by her response.

"Couldn't you feel that I did?"

"I felt it everywhere, Nicole."

She sighed loudly relaxing her shoulders. "I guess that was one way of answering your question."

"Question? What question?" He had pretty much forgotten his name after that kiss, let alone something that happened before it.

"About how I really felt. I guess it was easier for me to show you than trying to find the words, but I guess I should try more talking and less kissing, because I don't want to send you mixed signals."

"You can send me anything you want any time you want," he said staring intently at her.

"The truth is, I didn't want to feel anything for you. I mean, I didn't plan to. I went out with you at first because Daniel pissed me off and here you were loaded with compliments, asking me out, and in all honestly, I went out with you because I wanted to teach him a lesson. But when we went out, you were such a gentleman and it confused me. I wasn't used to being showered with compliments while on a date. Then when this whole diamond mess began to unravel and I thought you were some kind of drug smuggling murdering abusive a'hole, I told myself I never felt anything for you. I was on a mission to save the people I love and I had to do it and take you down no matter what I had to do."

"I see," he said as he hung his head down.

"Let me finish, okay?"

"By all means."

"But ever since you were gone, there were times when I was alone, before and after I broke up with Daniel, where I thought about you...a lot."

"And what were you thinking about me?"

"I was thinking, here's this bad boy Kiriakis who could have treated me like any other man in the world, but you didn't. You treated me like I was special."

"Nicole, you are special. You're like no one I've ever met special."

"Well, obviously, it got to me. You got to me. I'm not saying it was the whole reason I broke up with Daniel, but it gave me the strength to do it. When he blamed me for getting myself into trouble and saying I'd never change, something finally clicked. I realized I liked who I was and I didn't need to change for anyone, especially his pompous cheap ass. I mean, the man took me bowling, can you believe that?"

"Bowling, as in b-o-w-l-i-n-g, bowling?"

"That's the one."

All Xander could do was shake his head in disbelief and roll his eyes.

"Well, to make a long story short, I told him where he could shove his bowling ball and I haven't talked to him since. That was almost three months ago. I mean, I finally realized these guys like Daniel and Eric will never let me make a mistake without holding it against me. I can't live like that. I won't."

"And you shouldn't have to. I'm anything but perfect, Nicole. I've got a hot temper. I never play by the rules, but when it comes to love, when it comes to giving myself to someone, it's a give and take and when I know I'm loved, I will love back harder and fight harder for that love than anything else and with everything I have. I can fight a little dirty, but it's all in the name of love. I don't want someone who is perfect. I need someone who makes mistakes and tells me about them at the end of the day when she comes home to me. I would never judge you, Nicole. I would have no reason to. Mistakes and how we handle them are what make us who we are. And from where I'm sitting, I can feel your heart pounding. I know you want to be loved like that, Nicole, with understanding and no pressure to be perfect. Everyone should be loved like that in their lifetime and, believe me, you will."

"Will I? Will it really ever happen for me?"

"If you stop trying to change who you are to find it, it will find you all on its own."

"I'm starting to believe that. But for now, will you be patient with me? I need to think things through. I've been hurt by so many men in the past and being alone these last three months has given me perspective. I've never been alone for long, so I don't want to jump head first into anything without being ready."

"I'm not going anywhere, Nicole. Take all the time you need."

"I finally realize that Pookie was the only one who loved me unconditionally."

"Wait, who is this Pookie now?"

"Pookie was my precious, sweet, LOYAL dog that died."

"I'm so sorry, Nicole."

"I miss Pookie so much." Her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Shh, shh," he said as he slid in closer to her putting an arm around her. "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry, it just gets to me sometimes."

"Well, one day when you're ready, you can tell me about Pooke and your past and I promise I won't judge you."

"I'm sure you've already heard all about it."

"No, Nicole, I want to hear your version, the only version that counts."'

"Maybe one day."

"I'm available any time - day or night - to make you feel better. Now, stop all this sad business."

"You know what, I'm done crying over the past. I'm not gonna let those losers bring me down or make me question myself ever again."

"That's my girl."

"Thank you for the pep talk and making me feel better."

"Well, I do have an ulterior motive," his sly grin widened.

"You do, do ya?"

"I'm going to need a list."

"A list of what?"

"A list of every guy who's ever hurt you."

"Well, that's a very long list."

"Write it down for me."

"What on earth for?" she sat up unsure of where he was going with this.

"So I can find them and crack their skulls," he uttered matter of factly with a straight face.

They both looked at each other for a few seconds, Xander holding his 'I'm serious' face for as long as he could untll Nicole nonchalantly responded,"Do you need any help?"

Simultaneously there was an outburst of laughter, a laughter that wouldn't let up for minutes, the kind where you can't breathe and your stomach hurts. Nicole hadn't laughed that hard in years. She practically was bent over in Xander's lap not even trying to contain it. She let it out. She could finally breathe again. She felt free and alive. It was a relief just to joke around with someone without being reprimanded or talked down to for daring to speak freely. It was fucking liberating.

"Well, I better go. You need your rest. We have a long day tomorrow." Xander stood up, grabbed his jacket off the side chair and folded it over his arm.

"I'll walk you to the door." Nicole followed behind Xander as he headed that direction.

"So friends for now?" she said as he turned his head back toward her.

"Friends...(pausing)...for now," he conceded nodding his head.

"Goodnight, Nicole."

"Goodnight, Xander."


	4. Wicked Dreams

**This Chapter is Rated M for Some Strong Language and Explicit Sexual Situations**

A month had come and gone, and the leaves on the trees were turning shades of orange and red as October was just around the corner. Nicole had finally gotten back into the swing of things at Titan. Surprisingly, Xander had been very patient their post make-out session and worked side by side with her bounching off ideas like they'd worked together forever, as well as becoming closer friends. With the workload they had had, there wasn't much time for fooling around anyway. By the time she left the office and headed home, it was dark outside and most everyone else in the office had gone home. All she had time for was food, shower, bed. It was hectic, very long hours and she loved every damn minute of it. She finally felt she belonged somewhere and had a purpose, and she was getting praise for her work already.

As far as if she was getting along with others at work, even the two uptight women from her first day on the job , Bitch 1 and Bitch 2, as she liked to call them for giving her dirty looks and whispering about her in the halls, had finally come around. Nicole decided if you can't beat 'em, bribe 'em. Nicole religiously stopped by to pick up a morning latte for herself and started bringing one for them. She figured it was smart business to get some of the women on her side in a predominantly male work environment..

Within a couple of weeks , Pam and Judy, f/k/a Bitch 1 and Bitch 2, were break room gossiping with Nicole during the lunch hour. It seems Pam was quite fond of Herman in the Accounting Department and was coming to Nicole for advice. Nicole was more than happy to help Pam spruce up her appearance. It might not have seemed like a big deal to most, but to Nicole being asked for man advice from another female was a treat for her. As for Judy, once Nicole talked her out of her crush on Xander (Nicole wasn't having any of that) and introduced her to Bob in Human Resources, she was forever Team Nicole and had been on cloud nine the last couple of weeks. Mission accomplished.

(Monday morning at Titan)

"Ms. Walker?" a voice suddenly rung out over the phone.

"Yes, George?"

"Brady Black is here to see you."

"Did you say Brady Black?"

"Yes, ma'am, Brady Black. But you might want to know he's -"

"Oh, don't make him wait. Send him right in. Oh, and hold my calls, please."

"Yes, Ms. Walker."

Nicole rose up from her chair and stood awaiting Brady's entrance. She hadn't seen Brady for months. He hadn't taken any of her calls and refused to see her when she went to the mansion to visit. All she knew is he had relapsed since his son passed and nobody could get through to him. She didn't know what to expect but she was very happy he had decided to come by to see her.

The door flung open against the wall and crashed against the doorstop, startling her. There stood Brady or the guy formerly known as Brady. His appearance was quite shocking to her. He had almost a full beard. He had deep, dark purple circles bordering his bloodshot eyes that were glaring at her from across the room. He was unsteady on his feet evidenced by the fact he was holding onto the doorframe with one hand to keep his balance. He looked sloppy and dirty probably from sleeping in the same clothes for days. He appeared like he was knocking on Death's door.

"Brady, it's so good to see you," she opted to say, ignoring the mess of a man she saw before her.

"I b – b- bet it is," he stuttered.

"How have you been," she asked as she rounded her desk and began walking at a steady pace toward him.

"Not as good as you, apparently," he responded as his hand slipped off the door frame resulting in his body falling sideways and hard against it.

Nicole ran over to him grabbing his arm to hold him up.

"My God, Brady, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" he yelled at her pulling his arm away roughly.

"You're not fine. Let me help you," she insisted.

"I said I don't need any - your help, damnit!" he yelled blasting her with the extreme odor of hard liquor on his breath as he stumbled forward a few feet.

"Are you seriously drunk right now?"

"Good guess, Ms. Waaaalker," he slurred as he tried to stand straight up and balance himself.

"Brady, why are you doing this to yourself? You can't be here like this."

"Well, I've got some sings – some things to pay - to say and I'm not leaving here till I do."

"Wow, you smell like a brewery."

"Oh, you used to love the way I smelled, Nicole, until you left me for - for - for BJ."

"EJ."

"Yeah, him. Just like everybody else leaves me too."

"Oh, Brady, come over here. Sit down on the couch with me."

"Wait, didn't this used to be my office?" he scanned the room curiously as they moved forward.

"Come on, let's talk for a while, okay, Brady?"

"Who took my name off the drawer?"

"Your name will be put back on the 'door' when you're able to come back to work."

"I demand to talk to my grandfather. Where the hell is he?"

Nicole helped Brady sit down on the couch and she sat down beside him.

"Brady, don't you remember? Victor is not well. He had a stroke a while back."

"What did you do to him?" he yelled out shocking Nicole. "Did you try to fucking kill him again?"

"Brady, calm down."

"Is everything okay, Ms. Walker?" George had apparently heard the ruckus and ran into the room.

"Yes, George, I'm fine. Would you mind getting Mr. Black a cup of coffee. Black, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And put a shot of Dack Janiels in that, will ya, Jeff?" he blurted out scrambling his words again.

"It's George, not Jeff."

"Whatever you say. And if it's all the same to you, hold the coffee, George Not Jeff."

George rolled his eyes over in Nicole's direction awaiting her reply.

"Just the coffee, please, George. And can you put a rush on that?" Nicole nodded emphatically.

"Yes, ma'am, right away."

"Brady, listen to me. You're going to drink some coffee and sober up and then we will talk rationally not incoherently."

"Why are you here, Nicole? What are you up to?"

"I work here, Brady. Philip hired me."

"Philip would never hire you. You're something up- you're up to something."

"Brady, look at me, it's me, Nicole. I'm your friend, remember?"

"I don't have any friends."

"You have me. Please stop doing this to yourself. Let me help you. You know I care about you," she said placing her hand on top of his and squeezing it trying to comfort him.

Brady grew quiet. He looked down at her hand on his and then looked back up at her. His mood seemed to shift suddenly and a drunken devious grin emerged. Abrupty and with no warning he lunged forward at her trying to kiss her and missed and fell forward on her instead. The sudden whiff of alcohol almost caused her to gag as she fell backwards a little.

"Brady, no, stop it, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he lunged at her again trying to kiss her. "I thought you wanted to help me."

"Brady, this isn't you. Get off of me!" she threw her arms straight out against his chest and held them there to block him from trying it again.

Before she knew what was happening, Brady was violently snatched up from the couch and thrown against the wall in front of her.

"What the fuck are you doing to her, you son of a bitch?"

Xander's forearm was pressed against Brady's neck pinning him against the wall.

"I asked you a question, motherfucker," Xander's anger increased.

"Xander, it's okay. I'm okay," Nicole jumped up and ran up behind him.

"It's not okay. He's drunk and he was all over you and I'm about to kick his fucking ass. I don't care if he's kin to me or not."

"That's right, Xander, he's drunk. He doesn't know what he's doing."

"Nicole, back away now," he warned her and then aimed his attention back to Brady.

"Stop it right now. Get off of him."

"She said no. Did you not hear that?" he scowled in Brady's face, still fuming with rage.

"You're hurting him, can't you see that?" she pleaded.

"I'm hurting HIM? What about what he was doing to you?"

"Please, Xander, let me handle this. Will you let go of him, please? PLEASE!" she repeated with more conviction.

Xander exhaled violently, but finally acknowledged Nicole's pleas and removed his arm from Brady's neck.

With perfect timing, George appeared with the coffee.

"Oh, thank God, George. I'll take that."

Nicole walked right around Xander ignoring him and straight to Brady, who was now holding his neck with his hand and gasping for air.

"Brady," Nicole grabbed him by the hand, "come sit back down and drink this."

"I'm sorry, Nicole. I don't know what I'm doing anymore," Brady apologized throwing his head down acting emotionally distraught.

"It's okay. It's okay. Come here." She guided him to the couch where he sat down looking a bit dazed. He threw his hands over his face in defeat.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." She immediately made a beeline back over to where a still very heated Xander stood.

"What the hell got into you?"

"He was attacking you, Nicole."

"It's Brady. He is just out of his mind with grief right now. He's seeking comfort in ways he normally wouldn't."

"So I'm supposed to just let him do that to you and do nothing, is that it?"

"You're supposed to trust me when I say I can handle it."

"It didn't look like you were handling it that well when I came in."

"Look, Xander -"

"I want him out of here, Nicole."

"This is my office. I want you out of here. I will talk to YOU later."

"Nicole, please..."

"Don't 'Nicole' me. You really could have hurt him."

"You're really throwing me out of your office?"

Nicole took a deep breath in and then out, calming herself down. "Look, Xander, I love that you ran in here to defend my honor, it's actually very sweet of you minus the almost killing Brady part, but Brady and I go way back and he's really hurting. He lost the woman he loved and his child within weeks of each other and he's lost. I can't abandon him. Do you understand that?"

"Nicole, he has no business putting his hands all over you like that against your wishes, no matter what he's going through."

"I know. I know. And if it was anyone else at all, I'd let you beat them within an inch of their life, trust me."

His impulsive fury began to decelerate rapidly after hearing her response.

"I'm sorry," he relented. "I told you I had a hot temper, especially with people hurting someone I care about. I just saw him all over you and you telling him to stop and I fucking lost it."

"Yeah, just a little," she finally managed to crack a smile.

"Please don't be mad at me for wanting to protect you."

"Oh, Xander, I'm not mad at you. I know what that must have looked like when you walked in. I just need you to let me deal with this, okay, on my own?"

"I would never let anyone hurt you, you know that, right?"

"Well, I do now."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right alone with him?"

"Yes, I'll be fine."

"I hate leaving you like this when he's in that condition."

"He would never hurt me, Xander. I promise you. Look, he's drinking the coffee," she interjected as they simultaneously turned to look at Brady sipping the coffee.

"He was there for me during the worst experience of my life, losing my baby, and I owe him to be there for him losing his. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. He still doesn't deserve you, you know, but he's lucky to have you. I'll go, but I'm just down the hall if you need anything."

"I know where to find you, " she remarked sincerely.

"ANYTHING," he reiterated stressing the word.

She sensed the concern in his voice and saw the sweet desperation on his face and she leaned in to put him at ease and kissed him softly on his cheek, then turned her head slighty to whisper in his ear, "I'll be okay, I promise."

Xander took full advantage of her proximity and tilted his head toward her as she leaned in and took a deep breath in and out, catching the scent of her hair in the process.

As Nicole lifted her head back up, she turned to walk off and Xander grabbed her hand to stop her mid turn.

"You're killing me, you know that?" he said quietly as he shook his head back and forth at her with a million other thoughts of her in his head he obviously couldn't say to her at that moment.

"I don't mean to," she responded sweetly.

He paused momentarily, biting down on his lip hard. She could tell he wanted to say something more serious to her but he held it back.

"I won't hesitate to crack his skull for you, though, remember that. You just have to say the word," he winked at her as he turned to leave.

"Cracked skull, call Xander. I got it." _Is it bad of me that I find that terribly romantic?_

* * *

Nicole's head was spinning and aching. Her day wasn't at all what she expected. Brady crashing in like that, drunk and out of control. Xander crashing in, sober and out of control. She'd never seen Xander in protective mode and she couldn't get it out of her head. She'd never tell him this, but she found it extremely sexy and hot and a bunch of other adjectives that were keeping her up. She was sleepy but couldn't sleep. She was hungry but didn't want food. Her mind was on that image of him racing in, fists clinched, arms bulging, ready to kill someone just for touching her the wrong way.

She was lounging on her couch in the dark with her Martini in one hand and the remote in the other, but she never even turned on the TV. She just sat there completely still listening to the sound of heavy rain hitting against her window pane and watching from her open window the occasional bright flashes of lightning light up the night sky and parts of her living room. She replayed the events from earlier over and over in her head, a head that refused to get Xander out of it and she wasn't going to fight it.

Nicole's phone suddenly beeped from the coffee table, indicating she had an incoming text message. She picked it up immediately and looked down at her screen anxiously.

 **Xander** **555-0328**

I'm coming over.

 **Sent: 1:01 a.m.**

"I'm coming over?" she read the message out loud, then questioned the meaning of it as she glanced toward her front door. "Like, coming over now?"

Unexpectedly, at that moment she heard a faint knock at her door.

 _Wow, that was fast._

Another text message suddenly came through.

 **Xander** **555-0328**

Open the door.

 **Sent: 1:02 a.m.**

 _S_ he didn't hesitate. She got up, walked over to the door, and leaned in to ask, "Who is it?"

"You know who it is."

"Xander?" she said coyly. "It's after midnight. What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"It can't wait until the morning?"

"Nicole, open the door now."

 _Well, he's being bossy now, isn't he?_

She unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door and saw a very drenched and intense-looking Xander standing there in the hallway with water dripping from his face down over his mouth onto the floor.

"What on earth have you been up to?" she asked.

Before she could say anything else, he whipped past her into her apartment.

"Well, come on in, why don't you? What is this all about? I was busy...busy watching TV." She could hardly believe how pathetic that sounded. _Shut up, Nicole._

"Well, what's the emergency?" she asked impatiently while trying not to gawk at Xander's wet clothes clinging tightly to his toned physique. _Sweet Jesus, save my soul._

He turned around toward her and silently looked at her up and down, tilting his head slightly, stopping only to admire certain areas as he soaked up every inch of her.

"Nice shirt," he commented while trying to imagine what she had or didn't have on under there.

Nicole looked down and realized she had answered the door only wearing a t-shirt that just covered her ass ever so slightly so she quickly tugged it from both sides with her hands and pulled it down and held it there.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I don't mean to interrupt whatever it is you're doing right now, Xander, but can you tell me what this is about?"

He ignored her questions and removed his wet jacket.

"Here, give that to me. I'll hang it up for you." She took the jacket out of his hands.

"Leave it," he demanded in a very direct but sexy way as he took a step toward her as she simultaneously took a step back, throwing his jacket to the ground beside her.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she stood there anticipating what he was about to do.

"I'm coming over there."

"I see that, but -"

"Shh, shh, no buts, Nicole. I'm coming over there."

"Xander, why are you being so..."

"So what?" He took another step toward her.

 _Mysterious, sexy, fucking hot, take your pic. Goddamn._

"Are you scared of me, Nicole?" he whispered as he continued his slow approach.

"No, of course not."

"Then where are you going?" he whispered again.

"Nowhere," she said as she continued to back up. "And why are you whispering? No one is here."

Her body suddenly hit a hard object as she had backed up into the wall behind her.

"You're acting really strange," she said as her heart began to pound in her chest.

With her having nowhere to go, Xander bridged the gap and moved within a foot of her.

"What's got into you, Xander? Have you been drinking?"

Xander leaned in ever so closely, so close his lips were practically touching hers and whispered softly, "Do I smell like I've been drinking?"

Nicole inhaled him in on reflex and then exhaled loudly, only smelling the scent of his cologne. _Jesus Christ, he smells good._

"Nicole?" he said lingering around her mouth and then licking his lips.

"Mm-hmm?" she mumbled completely seduced by his close proximity to her.

"I'm going to fuck you now."

"You are?" she swallowed hard as she felt her body turn to jello.

"I am."

"Right now?"

"Yes, and preferably against this wall."

"This here wall?" Her thumb pointed backwards touching the wall she had backed herself into.

"Any objections?" he seductively whispered in her ear as he placed one arm on the wall next to her head.

"Um," (gulp) "not that I - not that I can think of."

"Right answer."

His lips claimed hers aggressively as she stood trapped against the wall beneath him. If she wanted out, her only recourse was a swift kick right between his legs. But she wasn't a fool. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her response to him proved that to her. She kissed him back hard.

"I knew this is what you wanted," he said sensing the overwhelming reception she offered to his kiss.

He stopped only for a moment to look down at her white t-shirt that was completely drenched now and mostly see-through from his wet clothes coming into contact with hers.

"Do you know how much I fucking want you, Nicole?" His lifted up her shirt slightly as he held onto her bare hips, squeezing them harder as he kissed her. They were slick from the dampness of the water and that turned him on even more.

"You're all wet," he said breathlessly as he ran his hands down her outer thighs and teasingly around her inner thighs.

"Do you want me to stop what I'm doing?"

"No," she blurted out almost instantaneously.

"That's right. You want me inside of you, don't you?"

"Xander, please."

Without taking his eyes off of her, he slid his hands underneath the bottom of her t-shirt very slowly, tracing her body with his fingers slowly upward until he reached her breasts and cupped them in his hands, squeezing them playfully.

"Mmm, no bra. You were expecting me, weren't you?"

Nicole flung her head to the side with pleasure while biting down on her lip to keep from yelling out, which provided him an open invitation to devour her neck while he kept a tight clutch on her breasts. As Nicole's breathing increased, Xander's arousal increased.

"Mmm, you like that, don't you?"

Nicole turned her head back toward him, giving into the gratification that was being thrust upon her and tried to kiss him.

"Oh, no, baby, I'm in control here," he teased, jerking his face back away from her.

"Now, hold still for a second for me."

 _Hold still? Are you fucking kidding me right now?_

Xander slid his hands down her stomach and clasped on to her panties and slipped them down to the floor as she stepped out of them. Then with one swift and sudden move, Xander grabbed her ass and lifted her off the ground, her straddling him as he carried her over to the couch.

As he sat down on the couch, Nicole came down on top of him still straddling him as she tried to catch her breath.

"What now?" she whispered seductively into his ear playing his little game.

"Whatever you want," he said with a sexy grin as if he wanted to devour her.

Nicole swallowed hard knowing exactly what that was.

"Show me want you want, Nicole. I'm waiting."

Nicole began unbuttoning his pants slowly until she had a clear view of what she wanted.

"Is that what you're looking for, baby?" he said egging her on.

Nicole licked her lips as she positioned herself above him.

"It drives me insane when you lick your lips, Nicole."

"Is that not allowed?" she teased, kissing his top lip ever so slowly with her tongue.

"Only if you want me to fuck you harder." Xander took control again and grabbed onto Nicole's wet shirt and she raised her hands up in the air as he slipped it off of her.

"Enough with the games. I want you now, Nicole." Without saying a word, he lifted her up gently as he let her slide down on him very slowly causing Nicole to moan loudly as she felt him push inside of her. "Oh, God, Xander."

* * *

Suddenly a ray of direct sunlight beamed straight into Nicole's face and she immediately opened her eyes. She was still on the couch, remote in one hand and Martini half spilled in the other. She put down the remote and glass and sat up, throwing a cushion into her stomach and holding it there.

"You have got to be kidding me? I was dreaming? No fucking way. No more alcohol before bed, Nicole," she reprimanded herself as she clutched the cushion and swung it up toward her face and held it over it in exasperation.

"What are you doing to me, Xander?"

* * *

 **Remember, I love to hear your comments to know you're liking the story. Throw your review into the box below if you have the time! Thanks. I appreciate you taking time to read my little fanfic!**


	5. First Class

**Again, thanks to those reading my story and find Nicole and Xander as intriguing as I do. Don't be shy to leave me a review or just a comment at the end. I love hearing from you! Hope you enjoy this one.**

Nicole arrived bright and early to work at Titan on Tuesday morning - 6:00 a.m. to be exact. She never fully fell back to sleep after her very graphic sexual dream starring a very soaking wet and domineering Xander because she hadn't been able to get it out of her mind. She had had the best sexual experience she'd had in a couple of years and it wasn't even real. She was wide awake and full of energy and so she decided to put it to full use and hightailed in into the office to work it off. Although, it didn't hurt that she'd get there before everyone else - _everyone else being Xander._ She wasn't quite prepared or ready to run into the star of her little midnight fantasy hour because she wasn't satisfied that enough time had passed for her to not react to seeing him in the flesh and then spontaneously blushing when she saw him.

 _I'd take one look at him and be looking for the nearest wall he could back me up against. My Mission: A_ _void Xander at all costs._

Nicole worked for a good hour on some loose ends from the day before and then turned her attention to the next item on her list. No sooner than she decided to throw herself head first into a project she had been working on previously with none other than Mr. I'm-Going-To-Fuck-You-Now, she heard Philip's voice ring out over her office phone.

"Nicole, can you come to my office right now, please?"

"Sure, I'll be right there." Nicole sat there wondering if she had done something wrong that she didn't remember or if there was anything that she had forgotten to do that she should have done or if she needed to come up with an excuse on the fly for something she might be accused of doing unbeknownst to her. She couldn't on such short notice come up with anything she might have done recently except have a totally unprovoked, extremely random erotic dream about Xander, and where's the crime in that, right? But, nonetheless, she was a bit perplexed by Philip calling her into his office in such a stern way.

 _Why doesn't he just walk across the hall and shoot the shit like he does with the guys?_

"Nicole?" Philip beeped in again. "Today would be good."

 _Hold your pretty little horses, I'm coming._

"I feel like I've been sent to the principal's office. Talk about bad memories," she mumbled to herself as she walked across the hall into Philip's office.

Philip was on the phone as she walked in and he silently waved her in and gestured her toward the chair sitting in front of his desk.

Nicole proceeded to sit down, cross her legs, uncross her legs, and then cross them again.

"Sorry about that. It seems we have a little bit of a crisis this morning."

"Philip, I don't know what you've heard, but I had nothing to do with it, Scout's honor," she grinned slyly holding up three fingers.

"I find it hard to believe you were ever a Girl Scout, Nicole."

"Cross my heart and hope to die - will that suffice?"

"Look, it's nothing you've done. I actually need your help."

"Really?" she said dumbfounded.

"Yes. Haven't I told you lately you're doing a great job here?"

"Well, yeah, you've mentioned it, but then Roger, Stanley, and Stewart were more than happy to inform me that you told them they were doing an excellent job, emphasis on the _excellent_."

"Nicole, I don't even know who , Roger, Stanley and - who did you say again?"

"Stewart."

"I don't even know who they are. They were yanking your chain. This is kind of a boy's club if you've noticed."

"Those little shits." _Payback is a bitch, Rodge, Stan and Stu, just wait._

"They're just intimidated by you. Now, forget about them. There is an actual reason I called you in here."

"You're giving me a promotion?" she replied half-sarcastically.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I just need you to do something and I know it's last minute but it can't be helped."

"What's the favor, boss?"

"It's not a favor really, more like an assignment."

"Hmm, sounds intriguing. What kind of assignment?'

"You know Pam who works here, right?"

"Oh, yes, Pam, of course," _f/k/a Bitch No. 1._

"Well, apparently she decided to run off and get married to Herman in Accounting. She put in her resignation this morning."

"Oh, crap," she said under her breath but loud enough for Philip to hear.

"Oh, crap is only half of it."

 _See, Nicole, this is what happens when you butt in. Yeah, probably not a good idea telling Phil I introduced those lovebirds._

 _"_ Precisely why interoffice dating is frowned upon," he said with a stern head nod. "Doesn't seem anyone follows that rule, though. Don't you agree?"

 _Wait, is he trying to tell me something? Is he talking about Pam and Herman or me and Xander now? Nicole, you're so fucked either away._

"Remember that photo shoot that was scheduled in New York that was to kick off that huge advertising campaign we had been working on?"

"How could I forget? Pam couldn't stop talking about going and – oh, no." _More like_ o _h, shit, now I know where's he going._

"She was supposed to be on a flight at 10:00 am handling that shoot. And since you were a former model and have had experience in front of and behind the camera, I was hoping you'd fill in for her today."

"TODAY, Today?"

"That's right. But you wouldn't be going alone. I was going to handle some other business on the advertising side so I'd tag along and be available in case you had any questions or emergencies."

"Wow, Philip, that's -"

"I could make you go with me, you know. it's stated in the job requirements of your contract. Didn't you read it?"

"Does anybody?"

"Nicole, I don't have time to quibble with you about the ins and outs of -

"Philip, I was kidding you. Relax, Mr. Crazy Pants, take a load off. I'll be happy to go." _Lord knows I need the distraction right now._

"Great, I knew I could count on you. Now that that's settled, I'll have my secretary to switch out Pam's ticket for yours. What time is it?"

"7:15," she responded by looking at the rather large antique clock hanging behind Philip's desk.

"Does that give you enough time to get home and pack an overnight bag and meet me at the airport at 9:00?"

"An overnight bag?"

"Yes, the photo shoot will be going late into the evening so Pam had booked us a couple of rooms. We'll be at The Plaza Hotel in New York. Her choice, not mine. If it was me, I would have booked the Four Seasons, but she made it abundantly clear that it was off limits because her ex-husband works in some capacity there and she vehemently refuses to stay under the same roof as quote,'that lying, cheating, no-good, pompous slimeball, low-life, bottom-feeding, piece of shit,' end quote."

"Sounds like every guy I've ever dated," Nicole joked.

"Our return flight leaves early tomorrow morning, so we'll be back here before you notice we're even gone, so you can pack light."

"Well, is there anything else I need to do before I go home and pack?"

"Pack?" a voice from behind her rung out.

Nicole turned around and Xander was standing in Philip's doorway with a slightly accusatory look on his face.

 _Damn, he looks good in blue. Jesus Christ._

It had just dawned on her that was the first time she'd seen him that morning and her mind went straight to her Xander Gutter of Dreams.

"Xander, I'm glad you're here, you're going to have to do without us today. Nicole and I are going to New York City on business."

"You're going out of town...together?" his disapproving tone, although said rather calmly, came across loud and clear.

"Just for one night," Nicole interjected.

Philip sensed a bit of tension but decided he had no time to deal with it and casually walked in the direction that Xander was standing. As he reached the door, he turned back to address Nicole.

"I'm going to talk to my secretary about those tickets. I'll see you at the airport on time, right?" he remarked with a " _get a move on it_ " type of nod.

Xander turned immediately to walk out.

"Xander?" Nicole called out.

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled lifting his head up in recognition of hearing his name but not turning around to look at her.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Xander exhaled, relaxing his shoulders, as he turned around and walked into the room.

"What can I help you with, Ms. Walker?"

"Oh, it's Ms. Walker now, huh?"

"Hasn't it always been?"

Nicole sensed some tension but she wasn't sure if it was of the good variety.

"Xander, can I explain?"

"It's none of my business who or why you're going out of town. You can do whatever you want."

"Then why do you seem upset at me right now?"

"Well, let's see, I thought we had deadlines and we were going to be working on them together...today. And now suddenly, without so much as a phone call to tell me your plans have changed, you're leaving with Philip on some unplanned business trip. It would have been nice to know you were leaving before now."

"Xander, that's just it, Philip only called me into his office this morning. Pam was supposed to go on this trip, remember? She's in charge or was in charge of making sure the photo shoot went off without a hitch for the new campaign and she resigned this morning."

"Resigned, why?"

"Uh, let's just say she kinda fell in love and ran off and got married."

"She what?"

"Crazy, huh? Who even knew she was dating?" _I'm going to hell._

"And he couldn't find anyone else to take her place other than you, huh?"

"I didn't ask, Xander. He told me he needed me, then in the next breath said I was, in fact, contractually obligated, so I didn't really have a choice. But he could have asked anyone but he asked me – ME – if I would fill in. I couldn't very well tell him no, could I?"

"No, I guess you couldn't. It is a great opportunity for you and I have no doubt you'll kick ass doing it. I guess I can handle things around here without you."

"It's just one day, Xander. I'll be back in the morning."

"The morning? You're staying overnight in New York?"

"Yep."

"And where is Philip staying?"

"I mean, we're at the same hotel, but -"

Xander shot her a 'oh, really?' look. He stood there very interested in what she was about to say next.

"I'll have my own room, so don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" he smirked.

"This is strictly business. There will be no funny business."

"Oh, I know that."

"Oh, you do, do ya?"

"Nicole," he took a step toward her, bending his head forward to get her attention, "we both know you're only interested in one Kiriakis that works here and it isn't Philip."

 _WTH? He can read me like a book but I'm still not going to give his cute, sexy, little ass the satisfaction he wants._

"Well, I'd say you were a little jealous of me being alone with Philip overnight in the city that never sleeps - _yeah, I'm milking it_ \- and your imagination is working overtime."

"Me? Jealous? No. Just calling it like I see it," he grinned that sexy little grin and drove home his point even more.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat with you and your ego, but it's getting crowded, and I've got some packing to do."

"Have a safe trip, Nicole. I'll just take Judy up on her offer and work with her the rest of the day," he tossed in as he was walking away.

"Judy?" Nicole's interest and/or jealousy was immediately piqued.

"Yeah, Judy, who works in -"

"I know who Judy is," she interrupted, "but I didn't know she was making you offers. Isn't she dating Bob in Human Resources?" _She had better be._

"Could have fooled me. But you don't worry your little head. It's nothing that concerns you. She had just mentioned awhile back that if I needed her help with, quote, anything at all, just to let her know. Very friendly, that one is," he smugly smiled while seeming to recall something that only he knew happened between the two of them.

"Xander?" Nicole said impatiently.

"Sorry, what were you saying, love?"

"Has she been coming onto you?"

And just like that, Xander had flipped the jealousy switch around on Nicole.

"Has she?" she reiterated tapping her foot.

"You're so adorable when you're jealous," he teased.

"I'm NOT jealous!" she growled as he grinned irresistibly at her.

"Just forget it," she gave up huffing and puffing. _Or otherwise defined as now I'm sexually_ _frustrated. That damn stinkin' dream did me the fuck in._

"You're the one leaving me, Nicole. I've just got to find a way to make do until you're back."

"I bet you do," she grumbled under her breath.

"What was that, love? Speak up." Nicole sensed that Xander was having entirely too much fun with turning things around in his favor.

 _How the hell did he do that? Nicole, you're losing your touch._

With the fox being outfoxed momentarily, Nicole took a deep breath in and out to regroup.

"Xander, I just think you need to -

-"stay away from Judy; is that what you want?" he continued his playful game. "Just say the word. You know I can't say no to you."

"I...was...going...to...say...I think you need to focus right now. We both do. We have too much riding on this campaign to let some romantic entanglement just get in the way.

"I agree." he said matter of factly.

"You do?" she said sounding more relieved than she intended.

"For the most part. But you know that if the 'right' romantic entanglement were to present itself, I'd recant that position straightaway."

It got quiet between them for a second until Philip walked back into the office. "What are you still doing here? You need to go pack," he implied in a rushing manner as he sat at his desk and picked up the phone.

"Oh, you're right. I'm outta here."

She turned to walk out of the office with Xander following closely behind. She ran into her office, grabbed her purse and ran right back out. Xander was a little ways down the hall, leaning against the wall, looking over at her.

As she approached him, she kept her eyes in front of her, playing it cool as another employee walked by her and said hello. As as she passed by Xander, she slowed but didn't stop and he called out quietly,"Be safe, N." And without skipping a beat, she responded, "Behave, X."

* * *

"Last call for Flight 291 to New York City, all passengers please now board."

Nicole decided to go ahead and board the plane. Philip's cell was going straight to voicemail and she knew one of them had to make the flight. She was anxious to get on board and get settled in, not to mention be pampered in first-class. She hadn't been in first-class-anything since she was married to EJ and it was as wonderful as she remembered – plush seats, plenty of leg room, an assortment of treats and liquor, and all those other amenities.

She put her overnight bag in the overhead compartment and sat down next to the window. _You snooze you lose the window seat, Phil._

She glanced at her phone again to check the time. It was approaching 9:30 am. and her wondering where Philip was had turned into worrying where Philip was. She decided to try his number once more when her cell phone slipped out of her hand and onto the floor by her feet. As she bent down to scramble for it, her head hit the back of the seat in front of her.

 _Oh, hell no, this trip isn't going to start out like this. Come here, phone_. She turned her head to the right as she reached down with her left hand and managed to get the tip of two fingers on her phone. As she struggled to stretch further, she felt a hand touch her left shoulder from behind.

"Sorry, I'm late."

As Nicole jerked her head back to the left, still in her bending position, Xander squatted down in the aisle next to her.

"Here, let me get that for you," he smiled as he retrieved her phone and handed it to her.

"Xander?"

"Nicole."

"What the hell?" Her bewildered look was telling him loud and clear that she wanted an explanation.

"Nice to see you too."

"What are you doing here? Where's Philip?" she quizzed him, now sitting straight up in her seat, her body turned toward him.

"Let's just say Philip had another crisis at the office he had to handle."

"Crisis, what crisis?"

"It seems he misplaced some documents."

"Documents, what documents?"

"Is there an echo in here?" he jested, but she wasn't having any of it.

"The Titan/Olympian merger documents."

"What do you mean? We were going over those yesterday and I specifically remember telling you to put those back on Philip's desk."

"And I did as you asked."

"Well, what the hell happened? If Philip doesn't get those contracts in before the deadline, the deal could fall through. Can you imagine what that would cost the company in delays? All those hours of work we did for nothing."

"I wouldn't call those hours nothing. I rather enjoyed them myself."

"Focus, Xander. Philip is going to kill us."

"Calm down, Nicole, I have a feeling they'll show up," his slight smirk didn't do anything to ease Nicole's panic but only heightened her suspicions as she began to see a clearer picture beginning to form.

"Xander, what did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw that little smirk. Now, if you don't tell me what you did right now, I'll -"

"You'll what, Nicole? I'd really love to know," he looked down at her lips as he licked his.

"Stop playing around. I'm freaking out here."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I can explain."

"Well, get to explaining."

"Let's just say in about"– looking at his watch – "one hour that file will find its way back into Philip's possession."

"Oh, my God, you took the file?"

Xander offered no verbal response, but instead answered her question by nodding his head looking rather pleased with himself.

"Oh, and when he miraculously finds this file, we'll be long gone by then. Was that the plan?"

He shrugged his shoulders indicating only that he was denying nothing.

"Xander, you're going to get us fired. What were you thinking?" She stopped mid thought and leaned into him, assessed his over-relaxed body language, and began shaking her head back and forth at him.

"You didn't want him to make this trip with me, did you? You set this all up."

"I plead the Fifth."

"You did, didn't you?" she pressed him.

"I might have."

Without warning she smacked him on his upper thigh as hard as she could.

"I can't believe you," she said with a chuckle that quickly turned into a screech.

"Oh, did you hurt your hand? Let me see that," he said as he grabbed for it and she snatched it away.

"Don't be stubborn. Give me your hand."

She acquiesced and he began to delicately massage her hand as she continued to question him.

"So did you just volunteer to step in for Philip in his time of need?"

"You're damn right I did."

 _Well, there's that direct and to the point Xander I'm so damn attracted to._

"And I'd do it again...and again...and again."

 _Yep, my mind = back in the gutter._

"You would, wouldn't you?"

"To spend the night with you, I'd do just about anything."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, big boy, we have separate rooms, remember?"

"Oh, I have no intention of crossing that line. I promised you, remember?"

 _Nicole, you really should stop asking people to do things you don't want them to do, especially him._

"I'll keep my hands to myself at all times, Nicole."

Nicole looked down at him still massaging her hand. "Well, then you can give me my hand back now."

"Oh, sorry," he said, gently letting go of her hand.

"You know, we're going to be so busy today, Xander, we probably won't notice each other at all."

"I find that impossible to believe, at least on my part."

Nicole let out a heavy breath as she turned her head back toward the window and melted into her seat as she silently screamed to herself, _Oh. My. God._

"So I take it you're not mad I hijacked this trip by playing a little dirty?"

Nicole turned back to her left and positioned her head against the seat to look at Xander who was already looking right at her.

"Mad? No. That's not the word I'd used to describe how I'm feeling."

"Then what is the word?"

"Impressed."

* * *

The photo shoot went off without a hitch. It was hectic and fast-paced and everything Nicole thrived on. The weather was sunny and breezy and perfect for an outside photo shoot. With only a few technical glitches, things ran as smoothly as could be expected under the circumstances. After the shoot, Nicole and Xander called the hotel, checked for any messages waiting for them at the front desk, and then called Philip to fill him in on how things played out. He sounded very impressed and in a good mood, which probably meant that infamous missing file had been found just like Xander said it would be.

It had been a very good day. Xander and Nicole kept things rolling and way ahead of schedule. They even bounced ideas off of each other without disagreement. But it wasn't all business as usual as Nicole had convinced herself it was going to be, at least on her end. As Xander had so freely admitted as much on the plane, Nicole had found it increasingly difficult to ignore Xander's obvious attributes. She found herself at times searching for him across the expansive lawn that the crew had set up their equipment on and just stopped to watch him. A few times, he had actually caught her staring at him and she had quickly turned her head, only to find him staring back at her when she'd look back in his direction.

After they made sure everything was finalized and complete, Nicole and Xander found themselves standing alone in front of the hotel.

"Nicole, are you hungry?"

"Oh, I hadn't even had time to think about food. I figured I'd be ordering in room service because we were expecting to get done so much later."

"Yeah, I thought that too. I have to admit, you and I do make a great team. You were right."

"I was, wasn't I? Her smile lit up Xander's eyes as he smiled back at her.

"So do you want to take a walk with me," he asked rather sweetly.

"Oh, I've got to get out of these shoes before I do anything. Maybe I should just order in room service and call it a day."

"It's only 7:00. Let me at least take you to dinner, Nicole."

"Oh, I don't know."

"We can talk business if you want. Just don't make me eat alone."

"Well -"

"Didn't you say New York was the city that never sleeps?"

"Do you remember every single thing that I say?" she said shaking her head in amazement.

"I can't help myself. I kinda love hearing you talk."

"You really are like no one I've ever met, Xander Cook Kiriakis."

"I hope that's a good thing."

"It's definitely not a bad thing."

"So does that mean you'll have dinner with me? Oh, come on, I don't want to take no for an answer."

"You don't or you won't?"

"I want you to want to have dinner with me."

His sincere expression had Nicole responding quickly, "I do want to have dinner with you."

"You do?"

"Yes, why not? It's just dinner and we are in New York."

"Exactly. So anywhere you want to go, sweetheart, just name it."

"You know what, you pick. I'm sure I'll love it," she said confidently.

"So I'll pick you up in an hour?"

"You mean you'll walk all the way across four feet of hallway from your room to mine? Wow, don't overexert yourself, honey."

Nicole's little sarcastic remark didn't go unnoticed. Xander cleared his throat as he began rubbing his chin a few times with his index finger and his thumb while eyeing Nicole in a particularly seductive manner. His sudden arousing approach caught Nicole by surprise. She stood completely frozen as he brushed his tongue over his top lip while thoroughly examining her mouth as he inched closer and closer to her.

"You have a very smart mouth, Nicole." He was practically breathing down her neck as she suddenly caught his sweet scent and immediately felt goose bumps pop up all over her already turned-on body.

"A...very...sexy...smart...mouth," he slowly lets roll off his tongue.

Somewhere in the midst of him staring at her lips and making her unequivocally weak in the knees, she couldn't help but focus on what was right in front of her. His alluring and inviting full mouth was lingering there, teasing her as it hovered over her. The sound of his heavy breathing caused her heart to beat faster as the rest of her body held in place anticipating his next move.

Abruptly he pulled away from her and stepped back, leaving her there standing breathless.

"See you in an hour, beautiful."


	6. Two Boxes

When Nicole got inside her hotel room, she panicked when it dawned on her she wasn't quite prepared clothing wise for some fancy dinner. She hadn't expected to eat out at a fine restaurant, which Xander was sure to pick, and she now was faced with the dreaded question, _What the hell am I going to wear?_

"Hello?" Xander answered his cell.

"Xander, it's Nicole, I -"

"I know who this is, I'm very fond of that voice of yours."

"Shut it and listen. I need you -"

"You need me? Miss me already, eh?" he interrupted again.

"Xander!" she yelled into the phone.

"I'm sorry, how can I be of service?"

"I need to know what I should wear to dinner - semi-casual, casual, work attire, dressed up to the nines, what?" _Oh, God please don't say the latter._

"Oh, definitely dress up."

"Oh, seriously?"

"Got to run, love, I'm getting another call. See you in about an hour." (Click)

 _I'm going to kill him._

* * *

Nicole was replaying ad nauseam the words that Xander said to her as she stood in a hot shower: _"Get dressed up_." She hadn't been able to relax for a second since. _I was only supposed to be gone one lousy night! What did he think I packed in here, a department f'ing store?_

Nicole chose to postpone her freak-out over what to wear to dinner and reschedule it until after she had finished with her shower. After she hopped out of the shower, she then managed to finish her hair and make-up in record time without a glitch. Before she knew it, she frantically found herself down on her knees digging through her barely-packed overnight bag screaming internally to herself. _Who thought to bring a cocktail dress? Not me._

Nicole gave up and decided mixing and matching the things in her bag were going to have to do. I mean, it was just a business dinner, or so she tried to convince herself, but judging by her actions, it was much, much more than she was willing to admit. It's Xander's own fault if he picked some fancy schmancy jacket and tie establishment.

 _[Someone began knocking at her hotel door.]_

"Oh, hell no," Nicole cried out. "He's 15 minutes early. Doesn't he know women are always late?"

Nicole, still wearing her bathrobe, went to the door and stood in front of it.

"Xander, you're early. Can you come back in 15 minutes?"

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am, but I have some packages for you," an unfamiliar male voice was heard behind the door.

Nicole opened the door slowly and saw a petite looking gentleman standing there with a huge smile on his face holding two boxes.

"Are you sure you have the right room?"

"Are you Nicole Walker?"

"That's me."

"Well, these are for you, ma'am."

Nicole grabbed the boxes and turned to look for her purse.

"No tip needed, ma'am. Whoever bought these for you, tips very well."

She could hardly contain her excitement and anticipation when deciding which box to open first. They were roughly the same size, but one was noticeably heavier. She went for the heavier one first. When she opened the box, a small card was lying on top of the tissue paper face down. She excitedly picked it up to read it.

" **Just a little something I noticed you were in desperate need of.**

 **Thanks again for helping me out of a major bind today.**

 **Philip Kiriakis.** _"_

Nicole pulled back the tissue paper and found a brand new designer leather briefcase.

"Yes, I think I'm going to like the perks of this job," she smiled as she began to look closer at her new bag that was most definitely going to replace the old, dilapidated one. Nicole was meticulously going through each compartment for at least a few minutes when she noticed the other box sitting alone untouched.

"Oh, what's in box number two?"

As Nicole hurriedly pulled the lid off of the second box, there also was a card on top. She picked it up and quickly read it.

 **"I saw this in a store window today and imagined you in it.**

 **XOXO, Xander."**

"What in the world?" Nicole pulled back the tissue paper and squealed with glee.

"Is this – oh, my God – is this Christian Dior Couture? No, it can't be. But it is. He didn't. Oh, he did. This must have cost him – "

Nicole thought for a second that maybe she shouldn't accept such a lavish gift. A briefcase is one thing. It's for work, not inappropriate at all, and Philip could argue that my briefcase was an eyesore and didn't reflect the high standards that a Titan employee should maintain in fulfillment of their duties. But a dress, a very expensive designer dress, was something entirely different.

She imagined Dan or Eric in her ear lecturing her for days for accepting such a gift with no questions asked and how such a gift must come with certain 'conditions' attached to it. Then she imagined Xander, the well-groomed, sharp-dressed man, who probably didn't think twice about buying such an expensive item for a woman. To him, a woman deserved to be spoiled for no reason at all.

Nicole suddenly felt so relieved that she was no longer saddled with such judgmental thinking from the men in her life. She no longer had to think every decision through and wonder who she might piss off or offend in the process. The old Nicole always liked the finer things in life, at least when she was lucky enough to be able to afford them for herself or have someone buy them for her. She didn't have to second-guess everything anymore or feel guilty about it. This was a gift and it would be her decision and her decision alone whether or not she'd accept it. But while she was making that decision, she was damn well going to at least try it on.

"And he got the size right,too. Damn it. How can I send it back now? Doesn't he at least deserve to see me in it?" she said out loud as she stood in front of the mirror.

 _Damn, girl, you look good. Calm down, Nicole, it's only dinner with a friend, a very sexy, deviously handsome friend slash co-worker who you happen to be totally attracted to. And he is only on this trip because he pulled a fast one on Philip so he could be here by your side instead._ _But he definitely wants something, that's for sure._

The dress was a knee-length, midnight blue embroidered bustier dress that fit her perfectly, hugging all the right curves. It shimmered under the lights in her hotel room and brought out the blue in her eyes.

Nicole suddenly grew very nervous when she heard a knock at the door. _He's right on time. Too late, I can't change out of it now._

"Hi," she said softly as she opened the door feeling very nervous.

Xander's jaw dropped as he stood there open-mouthed trying to focus on the totality of the emotions that were running through his head. He couldn't find the right words at that moment to express what he was feeling when he looked at her and so he stood completely still just staring at her.

"Is that for me?" she asked.

"Huh?" he mumbled off, still frozen in the holy-shit-she-looks-amazing zone.

"The rose, is that for me?"

"Oh, the rose? Yeah, I'm – I mean, yes, it – I did. I got this for you. Sorry, I'm nervous," he said as he jerked his hand forward to hand her the rose as he tried but failed miserably to keep his composure.

"Thank you," she smiled at him trying to ease both of their nerves. _Snap out of it, Nicole. What's there to be nervous about?_

"Wow. It's even better than I had imagined," he complimented her, appreciating all the more his last minute purchase.

"You think?" she said as she turned her body from side to side to give him the full effect.

"You. Look. Absolutely. Incredible," he said emphasizing every word.

"I know I shouldn't accept it, but it's Christian Diorrrrr."

"I thought you might like it."

"Like it? I love it. Are you kidding me right now?"

"It was certainly worth every penny," he commented as he continued to admire her in it.

"You shouldn't have, though, but I really, really, really don't want to give it back."

"Give it back? Nicole, I bought it for you and I'm not taking it back. Matter of fact, you should never take that dress off again."

"Oh, okay, you convinced me," she grinned as she easily and freely gave in.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Oh, yes, let me grab my bag."

As Nicole turned to grab her bag, Xander noticed the two opened packages on the table.

"Seems as though I'm not the only one buying you gifts."

"Oh, yeah, it's no big deal. Philip just sent me a little work gift thanking me for taking the trip on such short notice and thanking me for a job well done."

"Did he now?"

"Don't smirk at me like that. It's no big deal."

"Are you quite sure?"

"About Philip? Yes, I'm sure. He's just being nice, that's it."

"Good, because if he was thinking of moving in on my girl, him and I were about to have a problem."

"Your girl?" Who's this girl you're talking about?" she said jokingly.

With Xander's foot inserted in his mouth, he played along with her. "Oh, she's quite the little comedian that one."

"That's the first thing you can come up with to describe her, that she's funny? Poor girl must not be very attractive."

"She's so much more than that."

"Hmm, do tell," she urged him, wanting to hear more.

"Oh, she's VERY opinionated, stubborn at times, even. She's not afraid to tell you what's on her mind at any given time. She's intelligent, sexy, and full of spunk. She's got a huge heart, even if she won't admit it, and she's far more beautiful inside and out than she'd ever give herself credit for.

"Anything else I should know about her?"

"And she's got the most amazing blue eyes I've ever seen."

Nicole couldn't help but smile at Xander as he smiled back at her, both silently acknowledging how well they were at bantering with each other.

"I guess we'd better be going if we're going to make dinner, Nicole."

Nicole looked down, marveling at her dress once more. "I'm ready," she said as she grabbed her purse and her and Xander headed out the door. While walking down the hall, two young men approached them and took one look at Nicole and stopped in their tracks. As they passed, one put his hand up to his mouth to whisper to Xander, "Man, you are one lucky guy."

"What did he say to you?" Nicole asked after they had passed by.

"Let's just say I have to stay on my toes with you. It seems when I'm not looking and even when I am looking so is some other guy. You have no idea the effect you have on men, do you?"

"Who, me?"

"Yes, you."

"It's the dress."

"It's got nothing to do with the dress, Nicole."

When they made it outside, a cab was waiting for them on the curb. As Xander was helping Nicole into the cab, he couldn't help but let her in on something.

"You're going to fall so hard for me, Nicole. You just don't know it yet."

"Am I now?"

"Trust me. I'll never give up on you, no matter how long it takes for that to happen."

Nicole sat down in the cab and Xander shut the door as he went around to get in the other side. The only thought on her mind at that moment as he opened the door to get in was: _It might not take as long as you think._

* * *

The drive down Madison Avenue in the cab was breathtaking to take in. The temperature was mild and pleasant for being the end of September, a little chilly maybe. Matter of fact, the day after tomorrow was the 1st of October, which happened to be Nicole's favorite month of the year. The lights that were illuminating and reflecting off of the buildings made everything shine more brightly in the night sky.

When they arrived at The Clocktower, Nicole spent minutes just admiring the architecture from the outside. As they entered into the restaurant, it felt nothing short of splashy and spectacular. It had the charm of an old-fashioned mansion decorated with antique trinkets and a lavish spiral staircase that engulfed the room with a sense of elegance she'd never seen. The menu ranged from steak, to spiced lamb, a risotto with crab, and even a dry aged burger. Nicole looked around the room at the attire being worn and was overwhelmed with relief that she decided to keep the dress.

"How did you get reservations at a place like this on such short notice?" Nicole asked.

"I've got my ways. Nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about."

"I'm going to run to the little girl's room. I bet they give cosmetics and perfume away for free in there. I'll be right back."

As soon as Nicole walked off, Xander walked up to the maitre d' to have a little chat with him. After some seconds had passed, Xander handed him an undisclosed wad of cash in which the maitre d' slid right into his jacket pocket. Just as Nicole walked back up, Nicole could hear the tail-end of the conversation when the maitre d' said, "I will make sure of it, sir."

"I'm back," Nicole said, letting her presence be known.

"Your table is ready, sir."

Xander and Nicole were swiftly ushered through the crowded restaurant to a very quiet and private corner table in the rear.

"A bottle of your finest wine, please," he told their server who had just walked up to greet them.

"Yes, sir, I'll be right back," he said as he scurried off sensing Xander's urgency to not keep his lady waiting.

"You were great today, by the way," he started the conversation with a compliment, which always is the right thing to do.

"You think so? I felt a little out of practice."

"It definitely didn't show. In fact, you looked like a pro out there, taking charge, keeping things on schedule, and the crew absolutely loved you, which is probably why Philip entrusted you with coming here."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without you," she said with a sincere look on her face. "I told you we'd make a great team, you and me."

"Nicole, I'm pretty sure the crew would have done anything you asked them to to and then some. I was just window dressing to them. It was you they were looking to. They really respected your vision and direction."

Nicole put her elbow on the table and cupped her chin with the palm of her hand as she flashed a huge smile in Xander's direction.

"You're full of compliments and good deeds tonight. You must want something."

"Not just something. Just You."

"Wow, I'll never get used to that."

"What?" he inquired.

"That direct approach of yours. But you definitely shouldn't stop doing it. It's working for you."

"Is it now? he quickly perked up in his seat.

"I'd say with about 95% effectiveness it is."

"In that case, I really want to take you back to that room tonight, take you out of that dress, and show you what a team player I really am."

"Xander," she scolded him playfully as she gasped inside as the complete image of what he said vividly popped into her head.

"I'm just saying..." he winked at her as he turned to his left as if he saw someone approaching.

Nicole sat there all flushed and in need of a drink ASAP. Just at that moment to save her from her hot flash, the server arrived with their bottle of wine.

"Just say when," the waiter said to Nicole as she let him fill her glass all the way to the rim.

"When," she said as she grabbed the glass taking a large gulp to calm her overly-aroused senses.

"Would you like to order an appetizer, sir?"

"Yes. We'd like an order of your white asparagus and, let's see, the scallops, please," Xander politely said with no hesitation.

"Sounds yummy to me," Nicole agreed.

"Very good choices, sir," the waiter said as he left the table.

"Nicole, I didn't mean to make you blush, but you did open that door and I'm a man that says what's on his mind."

"You can say that again. You don't give up, easily, I'll give you that."

"I won't give up at all when it comes to you unless you tell me you're not interested."

 _If only that were the case._

"But I thought we already discussed how this wouldn't be a good idea because we're working together," Nicole quickly reminded him of the sticking point blocking him from getting what he truly wants.

"Well, Nicole, something being a good idea or bad idea is suggestive. You think it's a bad idea and I think it's a very, very good one."

"But when you mix business with pleasure, something bad always happens, someone screws up and has to quit or gets fired and someone always end up getting hurt." _Mainly me._

"Do you always go into relationships thinking the worst?"

"I just don't have a good track record. I seem to always mess things up."

"Why do you blame yourself for every relationship that goes wrong, Nicole? It can't be that one-sided."

"It's just easier to blame myself, since everyone else does." Nicole looked down and seemed to disappear in an unpleasant thought for a moment, which didn't go unnoticed from Xander.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She threw her head back up and shook it off. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Look, if I'm overreaching here and you want to say this is none of my business, please say so, but I have to ask. Does this stem back to what your father did to you?"

"What? Why do you say that?"

"Well, you told me when I got back in town how your father made you do things and you didn't elaborate and I don't want to push you, but it seems you have some emotional scars somewhere inside you that prevent you from feeling like you deserve to be loved."

Nicole took a deep breath before deciding whether she wanted to approach this bitter and touchy subject. It had been dead and buried for years and it was easier to just let people think what they wanted because they were going to anyway, but she was ready to have her say and someone was finally sitting there asking for it and wanting to know the real truth, and she decided she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Xander, I don't know if you know or 'heard' about my time in the porn business. Knowing your Uncle Vic, it was the first thing he said to you to get you as far away from me as possible."

"I heard some things in passing but I'm not one to judge, Nicole. I wasn't some kid in the Boy Scouts, or an honor student or some Ivy League jock. I was a pretty bad kid who got into trouble and landed in jail a time or two. It took me years to get myself together...well, as together as I can be. And it was with no help from my family. I was always the black sheep. So I don't care who or what you did years ago, Nicole. It doesn't matter to me."

"Well, it's not something I ever bring up. I'm still somewhat ashamed even though I know I shouldn't be, but when enough people throw it in your face enough times and make fun of you and shame you for it, you start to believe you should have found a way to escape it, to get out. But I was a child, a little girl who loved her daddy, and he used that love and twisted it into something dirty and degrading, and he made me do things I didn't want to do or should never have to be subjected to. And having had my own children, even if I never got to hold them alive in my arms, taught me a valuable lesson. I have finally realized that a parent's job is to protect their children at all costs, and what my father did to me was anything but. It was cruel and disgusting and he was supposed to protect me. How could he do that to me?"

Tears formed in Nicole's eyes as Xander grabbed her hand from across the table and held it trying to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry, Nicole. I had no idea."

"How would you? Nobody tells this part of the story. But I won't allow anyone anymore to make me the villain when I was the victim. The truth that no one ever seems to tell is that I was only a minor when my father forced me to do porn against my will. I was never a willing participant. And then those damn videos were made and distributed and I was forever marked as Misty Circle, Porn Star. I was not even 16 years old at the time, Xander. I had no control, no way out. It took me years to get away and escape him," she cried with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Nicole, I'm here for you, you know that," he reassured her by squeezing her hand tighter. "What kind of a person would ever blame a young girl for the things her father made her do?"

"Blame me? Try the whole town of Salem, who love to throw it in my face to make themselves look better."

Nicole could see him raging from within.

"If I ever hear anyone so much as use that against you ever again -"

"Calm down, Xander. There's nothing you can do. It's not your problem."

"I'm making it my problem. I can't believe no one has stood up for you before now. You had to go through that all alone?"

"I didn't like to talk about it, especially in my relationships."

"Well, if they couldn't tell there was something bothering you, then they weren't paying enough attention. You deserve so much better, Nicole."

"I'm learning that now. It's taken me years not to blame myself."

"It kills me to know no one protected you. You were only a young girl, for Christ's sake!"

Suddenly the table shook as Xander let go of Nicole's hand and found his fist crashing down on the surface of the table, startling Nicole.

"Xander, calm down, please. Don't get so upset. It's over. It's in the past."

At that moment, the very stunned and bug-eyed waiter approached with the appetizers and set them at the table.

"Uh, are you – are you ready to order or I should come back?" he stuttered.

"No, we're ready," Nicole spoke up, letting Xander collect his thoughts and composure. She quickly wiped away any signs of her tears with her napkin and sat up straight holding the menu.

"Everything looks so delicious, but I think I'll have the Long Island duck, medium rare, the sauce l'orange with fennel, endive and salt baked turnips."

"Lovely choices, ma'am," he said as he nervously turned to Xander who was still sitting silent and clinching his fists on the table.

"You know what, he'll have the same," Nicole said as she handed the menus back to the very shaky waiter who scurried off.

"Nicole, where is your father now?" Xander spoke up again.

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm going to fucking kill him with my bare hands," he said as he grew angrier.

"I believe that you would, but, unfortunately, someone beat you to it."

"He's goddamn lucky they did. To think of what he put you through, I wouldn't have been able to control myself if I ever came face to face with him."

"Well, he's gone now, but I'm glad I got that off my chest. It was just sitting there eating away at me piece by piece for years. It feels good to not have to avoid it anymore."

"You don't have to avoid anything with me, Nicole. I would never judge you and never let anything bad ever happen to you. I swear to God."

She sighed breathlessly as she gazed up at him and reached across the table now holding onto his hand.

"Where have you been all my life, Xander Cook?"

"Just waiting for you, Nicole Walker."

"I'm so glad you waited," she smiled.

"Not half as glad as I am that you found me."

The conversation grew much lighter from there. When dinner finally arrived, they sat, ate, and savored every bite. They didn't talk another word about Nicole's father or her past, but Xander told Nicole about a few of his past troubles and brushes with the law to take her mind off of her father. She listened and didn't judge as he had done for her. Everything was out in the open now and she felt relieved to have no hidden secrets or feel ashamed for them. She had never had any type of relationship with any man where something wasn't hanging over her head waiting to ruin everything. They talked and drank, ordered another bottle of wine, and they laughed for a couple of hours enjoying each other's company.

"Wow, that was the best food I've ever eaten. I'm a little stuffed and a lot tipsy," she hiccuped and giggled as she put her empty glass down on the table.

"Would you like some dessert?" his flirtatious tone suggested anything but food.

"Not here," she flirted back, insinuating a lot more than she was saying as the alcohol was beginning to do the talking.

"Check, please," Xander motioned for the waiter.


	7. Room 821

The cab drive back to the hotel from dinner was a great way to unwind and relax after such an impactful yet unforgettable dinner. It didn't prevent the anxious, fluttering thoughts from entering into Xander's mind on how the evening was going to end. It was nearing 11:00 pm, but for a city like New York, the night was still young. Nicole was sitting semi-awake in the middle of the seat in the back of the cab close to Xander, who in turn was sitting to her right leaned up slightly against the door. He had his left arm stretched over top of the seat behind Nicole, who was using his arm to rest her head on as she got comfortable.

Xander was keeping a close watch over her while she slowly began to fall asleep next to him. The sound of the engine running and the wind hitting against the car had proved to be very good sleep inducers - well, that, and the amount of alcohol she consumed while they spent all that time talking over dinner. Unbeknownst to her, but completely with no complaints by him, she had begun to gradually tip to the side and had fallen up against his shoulder, her head now cradling gently inside the curve of his neck.

As he looked out the window intermittently, he was perfectly intent with staying like this forever with Nicole right by his side. He kept one hand on her exposed knee, rubbing it softly with his left hand as she lay sound asleep. He was more than tempted to tell the cab driver to keep driving, but he wasn't going to be selfish because he knew she needed a soft bed to rest her head on for the night to be well-rested before their early flight out in the morning. He reluctantly kept quiet as he saw the hotel approaching in the distance. When the cab slowed to a stop on the curb, he glanced over at the breathtaking vision resting soundly against him completely quiet and still.

"You sweet, tired, exhausted baby," he whispered caressing her cheek softly.

"Nicole," he whispered quietly. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

"Xander?" she yawned slowly as she opened her eyes. "Where are we?" she asked still groggy and unaware of her surroundings.

"We're back at the hotel. Let's get you back to your room."

After Xander paid for the cab ride, he stepped out of the car first, holding his hand out for Nicole to take hold of. She put her hand in his as he helped pull her forward out of the cab. When she stood up straight, she stumbled slightly into his waiting arms.

"What a klutz I am. That could have been real embarrassing if you weren't standing there."

"I'm right here. Use me as you see see fit, Nicole," he said, charming her with his chivalry.

She grinned widely and then latched her arm around Xander's elbow for extra support and just because she felt compelled at that moment to be close to him. She was still feeling the effects of those bottles of wine her and Xander managed to finish off - mostly her finishing off - but combined with the day she had had, everything hit her at once and she was also totally exhausted even if she didn't want to be.

"How come I'm so buzzed and you're so" - she looked at the strong, sober, steady image of a man before her - you're so that?"

"So what?"

"So...not buzzed," she said shaking her head and rolling her eyes at him as if she couldn't believe her luck.

"I think you had a little more to drink than me, sweetheart."

"I did, really? No, I didn't."

"Well, at one point you were drinking my glass and yours and told me to get my own."

(Nicole bursts out in laughter) "I did not!" Did I?"

"Mm-hmm, you did, Greedy."

"Oopsie," she said shrugging her shoulders giving him her best innocent I-didn't-mean-to look.

"It's quite all right. You deserved to have a little fun and let loose. I knew I'd be making sure you made it home all right."

"Yes, to Room 8-1-2 – no, 8-2-1, please," she said trying to hold up her fingers as she said each number but failing miserably.

"Don't worry, I know what room you're in," he said amused by her little display and grabbing onto her hands and placing them back at her side.

"I'm glad one of us does," she said as she latched her arm around his upper arm.

"Wow, what big arms you have," she said as she squeezed his bicep.

"All the better to hold you up with, Little Red Riding Hood."

"Oh, I love that story, don't you?"

"Come on, funny girl. No more alcohol for you. Straight to bed."

Nicole shivered as she pressed the side of her head into his coat jacket to keep warm.

"Aww, baby, are you cold?" he asked her.

"Yes, this baby is freezing."

He couldn't help but be enamored with her silliness and concerned for her well-being at the same time.

"Why didn't you say so sooner, you poor thing."

"I must have forgot," she yawned as she snuggled herself deeper into the side of his arm while wrapping her arm around him tighter. "Aren't you cold?"

"Not really. I have you all over me - gladly, I might add - keeping me warm."

"Hey, do you wanna go for that walk now?" she asked, catching him by surprise before they headed into the hotel.

"Oh, Nicole, I'd love to take a walk with you, but the temperature has dropped nicely over the last couple of hours and you're not dressed for a nighttime stroll."

"I can go in and change...into something," she said as her mind went back to her abundantly under-packed overnight bag.

"You're really in no condition right now either."

"Boo, I'm fine, don't you worry about me," she remarked as she used him to keep a steady balance.

"How about a rain check, maybe when we get back to Salem?"

She conceded by nodded her head affirmatively into his arm as he felt her shivering.

"Here, take this." He immediately took off his jacket and threw it over her shoulders and wrapped it around her.

"Is that better?"

"Much better," she responded as she again intertwined her arm with his, then rested her head against him, holding onto him tight.

"I'm going to take you back to your room now, okay?"

"If you have to," she responded kind of disappointed but willing.

As they reached the hallway that divided their rooms, they both began walking noticeably slower, anticipating the inevitable good-bye they were going to have to deal with in a matter of seconds. Xander had his hand resting on Nicole's hip, guiding her down the hallway, relishing in the closeness not just from this moment but from the whole evening they shared together. It meant more to him than he was letting on at that moment because he didn't want to cross that proverbial line. She had made it loud and clear that she needed time before she got into another relationship with anyone, and he wanted to respect her wishes by giving her the time she needed and not pushing her into anything, especially in the condition she was in.

But when it came to Xander himself, he had no reservations. He was smitten with her from the moment he laid eyes on her those many months ago when he arrived in Salem the first time, and it had only steadily grown into much more. He never forgot about her the months he was away from Salem hiding out. And now being back around her, working with her over the past month or so only solidified his feelings and showed him a whole new side of the woman he had so desperately fallen for. And as hard as this moment was about to get, he wasn't about to do anything to ruin that by rushing her into anything.

As they finally approached her door, neither one wanted to be the one to say goodnight. They stood there in the hallway in front of the door waiting, hoping for something, a sign, a way out of this awkward silence.

"Are you going to be okay? " he said, finally breaking the ice.

"Oh, sure. Don't you worry about little ol' me. I'm just a little buzzed. Nothing I haven't been before."

"Do you need me to get you anything - some water, cup of coffee, two aspirin?"

"Naaaa, I can control my liquor just fine," she said as her heel on her pumps slipped sideways under her and she stumbled, causing Xander to catch her.

"That's twice tonight you've caught me," she said as she leaned forward into him, leaving only a couple of inches between them. "Thank you," she said as she began breathing heavier feeling the sexual tension beginning to rise.

"The pleasure has been all mine, believe me," he whispered softly, sensing the same tension between them causing him to slowly back away.

"Nicole, are you sure you don't want me to come in and get you -" he stopped himself abruptly, realizing what he said and knowing he shouldn't and couldn't go anywhere near the inside of that hotel room with how aroused he was already feeling.

"Nope. I mean, no, I'm good," she suddenly got uncharacteristically shy and nervous by how close he was standing to her and the thoughts running through her head. _Invite his ass in, Nicole, for the love of women everywhere._

"You know, Xander, I'm sure I'll get in there and I'll be asleep before my head hits the pillow."

"Okay, then..." His wanton eyes surveilled her intently as her back fell against the door inadvertently.

"I had a really good time," she remarked as her heart began to beat faster.

"Me, too," he said with a charismatic smile showing her he was telling the truth.

Nicole was kicking herself inside to speak up, to do something, to let him know how she was feeling. She didn't want to say goodnight to him yet, so she started to rethink the "coming in" part.

"You know what, maybe you should come in and -"

He interrupted her before she made an offer he knew he couldn't refuse.

"No, I think you were right, you should just go on in there and sleep it off. I should get back to my room."

"Oh, okay," she said trying to hide her disappointment in his sudden change of attitude.

"Goodnight, Nicole," he interjected as he took a step toward her to give her a kiss on her cheek, waiting to see if she rebuffed such a forward advance from him.

"Oh...goodnight," she stood still while his lips made contact with her face, causing her to react by swallowing hard as she imagined and wished his lips were instead planted on top of hers.

Xander hesitated briefly, trying to gather his composure from being this close to a very carefree and feisty Nicole. He then softly said to her, "I'll see you in the morning, okay?" But instead of leaning away from her he lingered there trying to convince himself to move his ass away from her but his attraction to her wasn't allowing his body to budge an inch.

With the alcohol obviously talking and Xander obviously hovering there driving her insane, Nicole couldn't take it anymore. And she sure as hell wasn't satisfied with an 'I'll see you in the morning' goodbye.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight, Xander?" she said bluntly catching Xander off guard to her bluntness.

"I thought I already did," he tried playing it innocently.

"You know what I mean," she said batting her eyes at him.

"I really don't think that I should," he said trying to give her an easy out.

"Oh, come on, Xander, one little kiss won't change anything."

"Oh, Nicole, you don't want to make promises to me, I can't keep."

"But don't you want to?"

"Of course I do. That's not it."

Xander exhaled breathlessly as his eyes found Nicole's lips and he wrestled back and forth with his inner self on what he should do.

"You're hard to figure out, Xander Cook."

"You've got me all mixed up, Nicole, you don't even know."

"Well, let me kiss you and make it better," she continued her flirting which was beginning to work to her advantage.

Xander suddenly lifted up his left hand and rested it against the door next to Nicole's head and then put his mouth up to her right ear.

"Does this mean you're going to kiss me?" she asked as she was pinned willingly beneath him and breathing deeply.

"I'll give you one...little...kiss, okay?" he said as he lingered in her ear.

"Okay," she accepted immediately, her legs growing weak from anticipation.

"But I have no intentions on taking it any further," he tried to convince himself as his lips found themselves slightly touching the smooth skin behind her ear while he sat there breathing her in.

His ability to show restraint and not lose control was enough to make Nicole want to lose her shit. She felt herself throbbing inside from being this close to him and she didn't know how long she was going to be able to play it cool.

"I want to kiss you and do so much more to you right now, but I'm not going to take advantage of the situation."

"Take advantage of me. I don't mind." she quickly replied.

"Oh, Nicole, you're making this so hard. You have no idea."

"Xander, it's just a kiss. I can take it."

 _"Yeah, but I don't think my heart can take it_ _if you regret it,"_ he said faintly under his breath but somehow she managed to make out one word.

"What did you say about regret?"

"I just don't want you to regret it in the morning when you've had a good night sleep," he said speaking clearly as he turned his attention to her, now looking right at her.

"The only thing I'll regret is if you don't kiss me right now," she firmly stated, practically begging him with her eyes to kiss her.

"Oh, fuck it," he mumbled, as he gave in, not being able to refuse her another moment. He removed his hand off the door ready to do what he wanted to do from the moment she opened the door to him that evening in that dress, but Nicole's impatience beat him to it. As he was moving in closer, she suddenly grabbed his tie with her right hand and pulled him aggressively toward her where their lips collapsed onto each other. He responded quickly to her urgency, but decided to slow her down to his pace by placing his hands on her lower back and gently massaging her back while keeping her close to him with a passionate but protective hold on her. She, in turn, latched her arms around his neck and held on for dear life, letting him do what he was doing with no complaints. She lost herself in the sweet, tender and oh, so sultry kiss he was giving her. But it was different than before at her apartment when they had lost all control for a brief moment on her couch. This kiss felt somehow more meaningful. It was filled with patience, thought, and was extremely and romantically slow-paced. For something so gentle, her whole body grew numb from it, and with her being already a little light-headed, it didn't help matters. So she allowed herself to use the door for support as she squirmed with excitement beneath him, reacting to his tongue taking its sweet time with hers.

"A-hem," a loud sound was heard behind them which caught their attention.

They both simultaneously looked to the side, still intertwined with their arms around each other, to see a man and woman standing before them in the hallway looking slightly annoyed and slightly embarrassed by the obvious display of affection they had walked up on.

"Excuse us, but we need to get to our room."

"Don't mind us, ma'am. We won't stop you. Go right ahead," Xander said, turning back to Nicole wanting to continue what he had started with her and definitely hadn't quite finished yet before they were so rudely interrupted.

"Well, that's kind of the problem, sir," the uptight-looking lady said practically tapping her foot at them.

"Oh, God, doesn't anyone mind their own business anymore," Nicole said in Xander's ear still panting from what he was doing to her seconds before.

"Well, you're kind of in front of our door," the man spoke up, looking very embarrassed to inform them of this fact.

Xander looked up at the door, noticed the room number and then immediately threw his head down as he stood up straight and began to straighten his tie.

"What's wrong?" Nicole asked him.

"We seem to be at the wrong room, honey," he laughed as he squeezed her in her side causing her body to twist and move in response.

"We are?" Nicole threw her head back to the right, looking up at the door number. "8-1-2," she emphasized each number. "This isn't my room?"

"Um, darling, we're supposed to be at Room 8-2-1, remember?" he said trying to regain control of his apparent amusement.

"Well, don't look at me. You're the sober one," Nicole said placing all the blame on Xander.

"We're terribly sorry for this mistake, ma'am. We'll be getting out of you all's way now. Have a nice evening."

"You'll be laughing about this tomorrow," Nicole shrugged her shoulders at the onlookers, finding this rather amusing herself as the lady tried to shield her husband's wandering eyes from Nicole's hiked up dress she was trying to pull down.

"Well, maybe she won't be laughing," Nicole whispered to Xander by holding her hand over her mouth and giggling.

Nicole and Xander looked at the man and woman standing there speechless but open-mouthed, and then Nicole waved at the man who hadn't taken his eyes off of her and blew him a kiss good-bye.

"You're a really cute drunk," Xander expressed by kissing her cheek as they started to walk off.

"Shh," she said holding her index finger to her lip, "I'm not drunk, remember, just tipsy."

Xander and Nicole simultaneously turned to look over their shoulders to see if they still had an audience. The man and woman were just entering their hotel suite, the lady shaking her head rudely at them.

"We're very sorry. We're newlyweds " Nicole blurted out. "You can remember how that was, can't you?" she emphasized her point by looking at the man staring down at her.

The man sighed and shook his head as if he was remembering the good 'ol days when the woman with him, now almost definitely his wife, shoved him into the room.

Xander latched onto the top of Nicole's shoulders guiding her down the hall as they giggled loudly at their mistake.

"Come on, Just Tipsy, let's get you to the right room this time."

As they entered the room, Nicole took a few step backwards, stumbling a little from still feeling the effects of the alcohol, but never losing eye contact with Xander.

"I'm gonna go now. Are you gonna make it to bed okay?" He knew he needed to get the hell out of there fast while he still had the ability, but fading fast, to do so.

"Can you at least tuck me in," her sneaky expression implied so much more, but the invitation wasn't something he could easily resist.

Without turning on the room lights, Xander closed the door and began loosening his tie as he walked slowly toward her with hungry eyes. The lights from the skyline lit up the room softly illuminating Nicole's silhouette as she held her hands behind her back daring him to come closer as she inched backward into the room closer to the bed. As she moved in reverse, she nearly lost her balance and it resulted in her coming down on the side of the bed in a seated position. Xander threw his tie on the ground, followed by his jacket, and approached Nicole without saying a word.

Xander walked up to a breathless and giddy Nicole and stood her back up in on the side of the bed holding onto her shoulders. He then turned her around away from him and facing the bed. His fingers found the zipper of her cocktail dress and he proceeded to delicately and slowly unzip her out of it. He kept his cool while doing so, still not saying a word until he leaned in from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder as his fingers steadily continued sliding the zipper down.

"Let's get you out of this dress," he finally spoke up.

Nicole leaned the side of her face into the side of his while she waited anxiously as he finished unzipping her dress and then began to slip it off of her shoulders until it hit the floor. He helped her step out of it and then turned her back around facing him.

"Stay there," he whispered, as she stood there in only her bra and panties while he took her dress over to the chair by the window and gently placed it over top of it, then slowly turned back toward her. As she turned to look at him, the light shining in from the window was like a spotlight, hitting her face at just the right angle.

"You are so goddamn beautiful in this light," he said as he began his approach back over to her still standing at the side of the bed.

 _Damn, this isn't going to be easy,_ _"_ Xander said to himself as his mind was on overdrive moving in closer to the woman he knew he could never resist. _This is so fucking impossible._

"Lie down, Nicole."

"Okay." She sat down once more on the bed, this time under his instructions, and then picked her legs up off the floor and swung them around and placed them on top of the covers as she simultaneously fell sideways into her pillow, which she began giggling into laughing at her own clumsiness.

"Get under the covers."

"Yes, sir."

Nicole reached for the covers beneath her and pulled them down toward her feet following Xander's very calm command with no objections. She then threw her legs underneath the blanket as Xander helped pull it up over her. After he tucked her in, he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her only to lean in and kiss her on her cheek as her eyes had already began to close.

"Sweet dreams, Nicole. I'll see you tomorrow."

As he began to stand up, he looked down at her once more. "Just look at you," he exhaled loudly, releasing all of the built-up emotions he had been holding in from his night with her.

Nicole's arm suddenly reached out to touch his.

"Don't go. Will you stay with me for a while," she whispered as she rolled over and closed her eyes again.

Xander walked over to the chair where he had put Nicole's dress and sat down facing Nicole on the bed and sat there watching her sleep.

"I'll just stay for a little while and then go," he whispered quietly as he lounged back into the chair as he began to yawn.

* * *

 **Remember, I love to hear your comments to know you're liking the story. Throw your review into the box below if you have the time! Thanks. I appreciate you taking time to read my little fanfic!**


	8. Cat Got Your Tongue?

(6:45 am. Wednesday, September 30th.)

"I understand. That's not a problem. Yes, I'll let Nicole know right away."

Xander hung up his cell phone, still sitting in the chair he fell asleep in. His neck was sufficiently sore from sitting in the same position most of the night. He glanced over toward the bed where Nicole was still soundly sleeping and chose to not wake her up. Instead, he quietly left her hotel room and went across the hall to his room to take a shower. Disturbing Nicole from her peaceful and much needed rest wasn't something he was ready to do.

(45 minutes later)

"Nicole, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear while sitting next to her at the edge of the bed. "Wake up."

Nicole stirred a bit then slowly began coming to. She stretched her arms over her head as far as she could reach and let out a loud yawn. Her eyes gradually began to open to Xander's pleasant face staring down on her as he sat next to her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he said with a pleasant smile.

"Xander, what time is it?"

"It's almost 7:30. I wanted to let you sleep in as long as I could."

"Wow, my head is pounding."

"I've got a glass of orange juice and some aspirin here on on the nightstand next to you."

"Wait, did you say 7:30?" she gasped as she catapulted the top part of her body forward when she realized what that meant. "Why didn't you wake me up? We're going to miss our 8:00 flight."

"Shh, shh, lay back down, relax your pretty little self. Our plans have changed."

"What do you mean our plans have changed?" she said throwing her head back into her pillow. "What have they changed to?"

"Philip called earlier this morning and everything went so well yesterday – actually, better than expected – and they want us to do another publicity shoot in a new location today. Central Park, to be exact. The crew and models were still available and they just need us to wrap this up. Everyone is there setting up and just waiting on us to get there."

"Now?" she gasped as she sprung straight up again in the bed, soon realizing she was just wearing her bra and quickly jerked the covers up over her.

"Calm down. I told them you wouldn't be there until 9:30 and it's only supposed to be for a few hours."

"So we're catching a later flight?"

"Well, that's up to you. Philip said he'd book a later flight for us tonight or an early flight out in the morning, whatever we decided. I just need to call him back and let him know our plans."

"Another night, huh?" she seemed intrigued by the idea. "What do you think we should do?"

"Well, we are in New York. We could take in a Broadway show, then dinner this evening and fly out in the morning. Of course, I'll leave it up to you, but I'd love to take advantage of this opportunity. It's only one more night."

"Speaking of taking advantage, did you sleep here last night? Where are my clothes?" she asked hesitantly as she looked on the floor and then at the rather wrinkled up bed.

"If you want to get absolutely technical, I did sleep here last night."

"And?" she pried him for more information.

"And my neck and my back are killing me today. It's a wonder I can walk."

"Xander, don't you play with me right now," she said as she playfully smacked his arm. "I'm a bit hazy - no, I'm a lot hazy about some things."

"Well, tell me what you do remember."

"Dinner, wine, more wine, waking up in a cab..." she paused as her eyes looked into the ceiling as she was trying to focus in on something. "Oh..."

"Oh, what?"

"I remember a door with a room number."

"Yes, Nicole, a door was definitely involved. I'm very fond of that door, as a matter of fact."

"And I remember someone mentioning newlyweds or -" Nicole freaked and immediately grabbed her hand and looked at her ring finger and sighed with relief. _Oh, thank God I'm not a fucking cliché._

"Nicole, did you actually think we got married last night?"

"Crazier things have happened to me, believe you me."

"You certainly are full of surprises, Nicole Walker."

"Exactly what kind of surprises was I full of last night?"

"Well, I will say that you were kind of all over me last night, quite surprising me for sure," he grinned teasing her.

"I was not. Was I?"

"Oh, yes, you were. You couldn't keep your hands off of me."

"What? When? Where? Here, in this room?"

"Remember that door you seem to have a memory of?"

"Oh, no! It's vaguely coming back to me. Oh, don't tell me. I don't think I wanna know."

"Hey, I'm offended by that tone of voice. You really were into that kiss before we were advised we were making out in front of the wrong room."

"I threw myself on you, didn't I? Oh, God, I so threw myself on you."

"Don't make it sound like a bad thing. I rather enjoyed your frisky and uninhibited side."

"Just how frisky was I?"

Xander grinned from ear to ear. "On a scale of 1 to 10, a good 15, easy."

"Don't you tease me, Xander. What else did I do? Did I - did we - "

He felt the need to finally let her off of the hook. "Calm down, Nicole. I'm just playing around. You were definitely very candid and direct, which is usually my forte. I loved your feisty and carefree mood last night. I haven't seen that side of you before where you don't over-think everything. You just went with what you were feeling at the moment. I was quite turned on, actually. But I also wasn't going to take advantage of that situation."

"You weren't?" she asked with a slightly baffled look on her face.

"Wait, did you want me to?" he said about to kick himself if she said yes.

"I don't know, did I?"

"Ah, that's precisely why you slept here in this bed all alone and I slept over there-" he pointed to the lonely piece of furniture by the window – "in that very small, uncomfortable chair, all night I might add. You didn't make it easy, though, but your virtue is safe, my dear."

"So you slept in that small chair all night and that's the whole story?" she said turning away from him, feeling rather guilty for thinking the worst but at the same time sort of disappointed he didn't at least try to take her to bed.

"It was nothing, really."

"So you didn't want to, you know?"

"Oh, no, I wanted to 'you know' all night long and into the wee hours of the morning, believe me, and you had me worked up enough that that is exactly what I would have done.

 _Fuck me. I missed out on that._

But when it comes to you, that's pretty much how you make me feel 24/7, but I just want our first time - I mean, not that I'm presuming we'll have a first time"-

"Oh, so you did want me, huh?" she teased.

"Nicole, I'm pretty sure I've made it abundantly clear to you just how much I want you, have I not?" he said leaning into her closer. "But I'm also capable of being extremely patient when it comes to things that mean a great deal to me."

"Noted," she said staring intently into his longing eyes while her heart skipped a beat.

Nicole realized while looking at Xander she had just seen a whole other side of him to add to her already growing list of reasons why she was falling for him.

"So what do you want me to tell Philip? We need to decide now."

"You know what, let's just stay another night. I never make it to New York and I've never been to a Broadway show before."

"You what?"

"Nope, I haven't. Why, is that strange?"

"I just thought women loved Broadway shows. I mean, you haven't seen Chicago, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera?"

"Why, have you?"

"Well, Nicole, I have dated other women."

"Of course you have." She suddenly got a ping of jealousy thinking of other women having any part of what Xander was offering her.

"But I've heard of all of them. I especially wanted to see Wicked," she said enthusiastically.

"Well, I'll check what's showing tonight because we can't leave New York without you seeing your first Broadway show. I'll call Philip and tell him we'll be staying and we'll be back tomorrow. Now take your aspirin, then go take a shower and I'll meet you in Central Park," he said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before rising from the edge of the bed.

"You're leaving me?" Nicole said out loud not realizing how desperate it might have sounded.

"I'm just going down there to help set up some things and make sure everything is running smoothly. I want you to take your time. I'm gonna go turn on a hot shower for you. There's some pastries and bagels over there on the table by the chair. Please don't forget to eat."

 _I'd rather jump in a hot shower with you. Oh boy, it seems I can't even drink Xander off my mind._

Xander went in and out of the bathroom, presumably turning on Nicole's hot shower for her. "Well, you're all set. Call me if you need anything."

"Wow, you're more of a morning person than I am," she yelled out to him.

"Only when I'm in a good mood," he beamed.

"I really like your good mood."

"You should. It's got Nicole Walker's name written all over it."

"I like it even better now," she said very pleased with herself.

"Well, take that good mood and march yourself into that steam shower, young lady. There will be a car waiting for you out front when you're ready."

"A car?"

"Yes, just another perk of staying an extra day. No more cabs."

"Hey, I like cabs," she smiled softly, hinting she was remembering more from the evening before.

"Yeah, they do have their moments" he agreed and then began to walk toward the door as Nicole called out to him.

"By the way, thanks for helping me out of my dress last night."

Xander stopped in his tracks still facing the door and slowly turned to look over his shoulder.

"Wow, the memories are all flooding back to you at once, huh?" he grinned innocently while shrugging his shoulders.

"Yep, it's starting to come back to me in vivid detail," she stared at him not giving away her reaction to that fact.

"A guy has to do what a guy has to do when a lady needs assistance."

"Thank God for that," she smiled broadly. "Who said chivalry was dead?"

"Not I," he winked at her and then turned back around and left her alone in the room.

Nicole immediately panicked as soon as he was gone. "Oh, my God, what the hell am I going to wear? Why do I keep asking myself this question? Why did Philip convince me to pack light? And WHY would I ever listen to a man when it comes to packing a bag? I don't even want to think about what I will wear tonight. I'm going to have to go shopping. There's no way around it."

Nicole jumped in the hot shower and spent 15 minutes soaking it all in. It felt heavenly, to say the least, to just feel the heat wash all over her and into her muscles. Although, she couldn't help fantasize about a particular someone being right there with her producing a whole different kind of heat.

When she jumped out of the shower, she threw on the "complimentary" hotel robe she had every intention of adding to her over-night bag, the same bag she was about to curse for abandoning her at her time of need. She began to let her panic get the best of her again until a knock on the door temporarily distracted her from a full Nicole meltdown.

"Hello, are you Ms. Walker?" a petite young woman said as she stood there in the hallway holding onto two large garment bags.

"That's me, Nicole Walker."

"A Mr. Kiriakis called our boutique and requested we bring you a few things ASAP."

"Are you even open this early in the morning?"

"Money opens up a lot of doors even during non-working hours, my dear."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Wait, before I look at that, which Mr. Kiriakis are we talking about?"

"It's - let me check my paperwork here - a Mr. Xander Kiriakis from Titan Industries, ma'am."

"Well, in that case, come in. Let me see what you have in those bags," she said all excited like a school girl.

Before the lady entered, she reached to the side and out of nowhere wheeled a full garment rack of designer dresses along with her.

 _You have got to be shitting me._

"Pick whatever you want."

"Really?"

"Yes, he said you were to have anything you wanted. The sky is the limit. The more casual day-wear is in these garment bags and, as you can see, the designer gowns are on this rack. He wanted you to pick out a dress for this evening."

"And he really said if I wanted them all, I could take them all, not that I would take them all, but he said that?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Wow, where to start. I don't have much time," Nicole said to the smiling lady, who looked to be straight from the department store and was probably going to be paid a handsome commission for this.

"I'm here to help. Let's start with what you're going to wear this morning. I've got a Michael Kors pants suit in here with a very chic pin-striped design. Oh, this Donna Karan black pencil skirt paired with this winter white cashmere sweater would really pop and accentuate your curves. It's perfect for the nippy weather outside. Oh, but then there's this hot pink Gucci dress that is right off the runway from the new collection. You can pair it with this leather jacket. Might not be as functional as the others for the day, but who needs function when you got style like this, right? I think this color would look fab on you."

 _Wow, she's really good at the sucking up thing._

"Are there shoes in there somewhere?" Nicole asked.

"Yes, one pair to match every outfit."

"Bless you. I'll take this outfit, but all the shoes. A woman can never have enough shoes."

"What about your dress for this evening, do you have a favorite?"

"I knew what dress I wanted as soon as you rolled that in."

"Oh, let me guess, you want the -"

As Nicole arrived in Central Park for the photo shoot, she was raring to go. Her enthusiasm stemmed partly from the killer designer outfit she now had on her freshly showered body but mostly from the man who was responsible for putting it there: Xander.

"There you are," Xander's smile beamed through her as he approached . "Loving that sweater."

"You're lucky there are people around or I think I'd kiss you right now," Nicole said with no reservation.

"What people?" he said, daring her to do just that.

Nicole walked up to him and kissed him right on the side of his mouth and then used her thumb to wipe off the lipstick she left behind.

"You're a lifesaver, you know that?"

"Anything for you," he said as he cupped her cheek momentarily and then let it go, realizing they had eyes all around them.

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You'll repay me when I see you in the dress you picked to wear tonight."

She smiled at him like a Cheshire cat. "In that case, you might owe me after you see me in it, **Mr. Kiriakis,** she emphasized.

"Oh, you caught that, huh?"

"It has a nice ring to it. I won't hold it against you that you're related to Victor. You're a Kiriakis by blood, you should embrace that."

"Maybe," he said while shrugging his right shoulder up and down.

The next four hours were spent at the photo shoot. Again, like the day before, everything ran smoothly and as planned and their contractually obligated work requirements came to an end. Nicole and Xander were standing there in Central Park making sure everything and everyone was taken care of before they left for the day.

"Wasn't that so exhilarating?" Nicole said breathing in the fresh air.

"What?" Xander inquired.

"Being in charge of something so important, that will mean so much for the company. I can't believe this is my life and I'm standing here in Central Park with -"

"With the pigeons?" he interjected.

"Yeah, the pigeons," she smiled at him knowing he knew that's not what she was going to say.

"You're glowing, Nicole."

"I just can't believe it. Do you know how much I love this job?"

"The look on your face says it all."

* * *

A little while later, Nicole and Xander found themselves back at the hotel lobby at around 2:00 pm.

"So I got us two tickets to _Wicked_ tonight at the Gershwin Theater at 7:00 pm."

"You did? Really? I can't wait to be with you - I mean, to go to the show with you."

"I'm rather looking forward to it myself."

"When did you have time to get us tickets?"

"I got them as soon as I left your hotel this morning. The Kiriakis name has a lot of clout and with the connections Titan has, we've got prime orchestra seating."

"Sounds perfect."

"Excuse me, is this the Nicole Walker you told me about, Mr. Kiriakis?" An older sophisticated woman appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, Maria, this is the woman I was telling you about."

"Your description of her was just as I envisioned. She's absolutely stunning. Look at that bone structure."

"Uh, excuse me, I'm right here. What's going on, Xander?" Nicole asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I'm sorry, Nicole. This is Maria, and she's going to show you to the spa. She's personally going to see to it that you're pampered for a few hours."

"She is?"

"She most definitely is."

"Seriously?"

"Ma'am, if you'll follow me. Rachelle will be taking good care of you this afternoon. First a full body massage, then an aroma therapy bath, a facial, and full manicure/pedicure. Then you'll see Jacques for your makeup and hair-styling for the evening."

"Oh, well, in that case, bring me to Rachelle and Jacques."

"Well, take good care of her, Maria. She deserves the best."

"She'll get nothing but the best, I guarantee you."

"You set this all up for me?" Nicole asked feeling very special at that moment.

"I told you, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"But the dress last night, the fancy dinner, and the clothes this morning you already bought for me, it's so much already."

"There's never going to be enough, don't you get that? There's not a limit on what you deserve when you deserve everything."

"But what can I ever give to you that even compares?"

"I'm looking right at her. Now take this kind gesture I'm offering freely to you and go enjoy yourself for a few hours."

"Well, what will you be doing while I'm getting the royal treatment?"

"Don't you worry about me. I've got things to do. Now go get pampered. I'll have the car waiting for you at 6:00 sharp out front."

Nicole jumped into his unsuspecting arms and pulled him into a hug. She held onto him for a few seconds, holding her arms tightly around him.

"Nicole, if you don't let go of me, you're never gonna be ready for tonight."

"Thank you," she said gently as she began to let go of him.

When she finally found the strength to release him, she turned to Maria. "I'm ready to be beautified."

As she walked away with Maria, she looked over her shoulder to see Xander still there looking at her. She directed her smile right at him and mouthed the words again, _Thank you_ _._

* * *

Xander was sitting patiently, yet filled with excited energy, in the car in front of the hotel waiting for Nicole. She insisted on him meeting her in front of the hotel instead of at her door. He wasn't quite sure why but he wasn't about to argue with her now when things were going better than he could have hoped. As he twiddled his thumbs in his perfectly tailored black tuxedo for the evening festivities, he was holding a dozen roses in one hand and wiping the sweat off his brow in the other. It was 6:05 and the waiting had given him time to grow rather nervous and anxious, which was becoming all too familiar when it came to Nicole. He'd had many women in his past before but none that had the innate ability to make him feel like he didn't have complete control at all times. He was obviously smitten, completely enamored with her, and he was falling hard fast and there was no stopping it now.

Just as he looked back over towards the front doors of the hotel expecting to see the doorman standing there alone, a thing of pure beauty appeared in his peripheral view. As he focused in on the object that caught his eye, there she was, a vision in fiery red. She had on a lavish Valentino gown made from the finest silk faille. It hugged every curve of her tall, thin but still curvy-in-all-the-right-places statuesque physique. Her golden hair looked like satin all swept up, highlighting her subtle yet impeccably applied makeup on her flawless face that looked to be glowing and shimmering from all the pampering that it received. When she locked eyes with Xander, he had already began to step out of the car, still steadily studying her and appreciating her from the distance, never once taking his eyes off of her.

As he stood there holding the door open for her, he took a deep, nervous breath in and out trying to take in all of what he was seeing in front of him.

"Nicole, you look... you look -"

"Cat got your tongue?" Nicole teased him trying to break the nervous tension by reminding him of their first meeting at her apartment when he came back to town.

"He's got more than my tongue at the moment." He cleared his throat and attempted to try again, catching his breath.

"You take my breath away, Nicole," he gazed into her eyes as she melted inside.

"You look pretty handsome yourself."

He stood there still looking at the vision in front of him and before she knew what hit her, he had planted a very soft chaste kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry. I know that's supposed to come at the end of the evening, but I couldn't help myself," he said, offering the only excuse available to him.

"Hey, we don't follow the rules, remember? So no apologies necessary."

"You're right. I'm not sorry at all."

"Well, I guess Rachelle and Jacques done good then?" she teased, letting him off the hook.

"If that's 'good' Nicole, I can hardly imagine what 'great' would look like on you."

He looked her over one last time and stepped to the side to help her into the car. As she moved past him, he caught a whiff of her scent in the crisp night air and immediately whispered in her ear. "God, you smell incredible."

"You should thank Rachelle for that."

 _Thank you, Rachelle_

* * *

As the show let out, Nicole and Xander walked arm and arm. They told their driver to follow along behind them a ways as they took a stroll down the sidewalk breathing in the night air and each other. Nicole had never had a night quite like this or a man quite like this either. He was a mixture of a sweet, charming, giving, and extremely romantic gentleman and a very sexy, confident, scheming, crafty, go-after-what-you-want bad boy with a checkered past and she was attracted to all of him. EJ was the closest thing there was to Xander, but there was one very specific flaw that EJ had that Xander didn't: Sami Brady.

"So where to now?" Nicole said to Xander, full of energy.

"Oh, I see you're a spunky ball of fire tonight."

"Well, I did get all that pampering today that took all of the kinks out thanks to this really sweet guy I know."

"Sweet? Don't say that too loud. He might have a rep to protect."

"Not this guy. He's got nothing to prove to anyone. He is who he is."

"Hmm, sounds like a ringing endorsement. You might want to hang on to that one."

"I just might do that," she said as she nudged him in his side playfully.

"But I hope you left some of those kinks for me to work out of you," he flirted with her as he helped her get back into the car after their stroll.

 _Oh, I most definitely did._

* * *

"Xander, why are we back at the hotel? I thought we were going to eat. I'm a little starving here."

"Oh, we are. I just needed to get something back in my room first. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not. I was just making sure you weren't gonna leave me starving and begging for food."

Xander looked at Nicole and proceeded to do the quick once-over of her from head to toe, swiftly reminding her that he hadn't in the slightest forgotten who it was he was with and how attracted he was to her.

"I'm not about to leave you starving in ANY WAY, SHAPE, or FORM tonight, trust me. You'll be completely satisfied and fulfilled on all fronts."

Nicole gasped inside at all of the possible implications and scenarios that one little statement had just presented to her. _He is so getting lucky tonight and I think he knows it._

As they entered the hotel, Xander and Nicole got in the elevator followed by two young teenagers, a girl and a boy, who, from the looks of it, were about 16 and on their first date, judging by how dressed up they were and the nervous energy surrounding them that you could cut with a knife. Nicole took one look at their postures and could tell from the awkward silence between them that they hadn't hit first base yet. Xander and Nicole opted to step toward the back, leaving the youngsters in front of them.

"Can you hit Floor 8, please?" Nicole called out to the young couple.

"Yes, ma'am," the young man politely replied.

"Well, you don't have to call me, ma'am."

"Sorry, ma'am," he nervously responded and then quickly turned back around and hit the button for the 8th floor.

"First date jitters, huh?" Nicole blurted out. Xander nudged Nicole slightly with his shoulder trying to contain his laughter as the young couple stood a foot apart hands glued to their sides.

Nicole and Xander rested their hands on the metal railing surrounding the inside of the elevator when the elevator doors closed. While the elevator began to ascend up the floors, Xander smoothly lifted his right hand and placed it on top of Nicole's left hand.

"Well, since we're both sober, there won't be any mishaps tonight," Nicole said rather loudly.

"What do you mean," Xander asked as the young man in front of him moved his head slightly to the right as if he heard something interesting.

"You know, making out in the hallway in front of the wrong room, that mishap," she winked at Xander as she was quite aware the two youngsters in front of them were listening in on their little convo.

"I quite liked our little mishap and I'm pretty sure you did too, judging by how far your tongue was down my throat," he teased, playing along.

Suddenly the boy in front of them cleared his throat trying not to choke on what he was listening to.

"Well, I especially liked the part when we were caught in the act by that extremely uptight couple."

"So I see you're remembering almost everything from last night," he grinned as he raised a rather frisky eyebrow at her.

"Definitely all the good parts," she playfully said back.

"Are you implying there were any bad?"

Suddenly the bell on the elevator went off and the doors began to open on Floor 6.

Xander called out to the young man as him and the girl began to exit in a hurry. "Excuse me, young man, can you hit the button for the Penthouse?"

The young boy complied and he exited the elevator with his female companion who hadn't spoken a word. As they scurried off, Nicole could faintly hear the boy whispering about what he had heard in the elevator. So in Nicole fashion and to have the last word, she called out, "Don't forget to wear protection, you two lovebirds," right as the elevator doors came to a close.

Nicole then turned her attention to a very relaxed and amused Xander.

"Penthouse? What's in the penthouse?" she asked, pressing him for an answer.

"Just wait, Nicole, you'll see."

* * *

 **Remember, I love to hear your comments to know you're liking the story. Throw your review into the box below if you have the time! Thanks. I appreciate you taking time to read my little fanfic!**


	9. Penthouse Suite

**This Chapter is Rated M for Some Strong Language and Explicit Sexual Situations. Enjoy.**

Nicole was still giving Xander the third degree when the doors of the elevator opened to the Penthouse Suite at The Plaza.

"What in the world is all of this?" Nicole gasped with a mixture of surprise and excitement as she leisurely entered the foyer of the penthouse, which was adorned with exquisite inlaid white marble floors, stark white walls, and elegant sculptured columns. Her heart skipped a beat as she cautiously proceeded forward to process everything she was seeing and to try to gain a fraction of her composure. As she began the overwhelming undertaking of scanning the huge open space of the suite, equipped with 360 degree views and floor-to-ceiling windows, she started to feel the butterflies fluttering inside of her already-nervous stomach. The spacious open floor plan living area included a state-of-the-art chef's kitchen to the far left, a grand piano in the opposite corner of the room, handcrafted wall art, and antique furniture that looked as if it had never been touched a day in its luxurious and lavish-filled life.

The ambient atmosphere filled the entire room, which was glowing from the dozens of shimmering scented candles that were evenly placed all around the room and releasing an exotic aroma in the air that had a mixture of fresh chamomile, honey and cedarwood. As she walked in further, her eyes were immediately drawn to the scattered path of rose petals that were strategically placed along the marble floor leading to a candlelit table that was elegantly set for two and positioned in front of the balcony overlooking the New York City skyline. It was absolutely like nothing she'd ever seen.

"What is all of this?" Nicole anxiously inquired as she looked at Xander with wonderment and partial disbelief that she was even standing in the middle of all of this.

"This is for you, Nicole," Xander responded while gauging Nicole's star-struck reaction.

"Am I dreaming?"

"No, you're not dreaming. You're here with me," he said while flashing a sexy grin at her.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful," she commented while appreciating everything around her once more.

"Neither have I," her said breathlessly while gazing squarely at her, never looking beyond her even for a second.

"Good evening, sir," said an unknown male voice that unexpectedly interrupted Nicole's moment of shock and amazement.

"Dinner is served, Mr. Kiriakis, and if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me or come by my restaurant any time. It was a pleasure to cook for you and your beautiful lady companion on your last night in New York."

All of a sudden, an Asian female appeared from the kitchen with two dinner plates and set them down on the candlelit table near the balcony.

"Thank you, Chef Humm. Everything looks impeccable and smells delicious," Xander commented as he shook the chef's hand and then slipped him an envelope, which was mostly likely filled with $100 bills to pay for this last-minute chef-inspired food extravaganza. The chef immediately excused himself and boarded the elevator with the female server.

"Xander, this is crazy. You arranged all of this today? How? When?" Nicole asked, still reeling from her sudden but welcomed surprise.

"You were getting pampered for three hours, remember? I just made a few phone calls."

"And paid someone a lot of money from the looks of it."

"Well, when I want something, money is no object. And you're worth every penny, Nicole."

"I'm speechless," she smiled, as Xander began to approach her.

"I just thought a nice, quiet candlelit dinner for two on our last evening in New York would be the perfect ending to a seamless and productive two days, or what I like to call the best two days of my life. I hope you don't mind the gesture."

"You call this a gesture? This is more like every girl's dream. I mean, look at this place. It's amazing and unbelievable. You keep doing these things I never see coming."

"That's why it's called a surprise."

"You're the real surprise," she said as she leaned over and kissed him softly on his cheek catching him off guard.

"Xander, you've really made our last night here perfect."

"But it's not over yet," he responded as his face lit up with a smile she'd remember for days. "I hope you're still hungry."

"Oh, I'm starving."

He held out his arm for her, which she gladly took, and he led her over to the table where her eyes feasted on the meal before her while her taste buds immediately began to salivate with anticipation.

While Xander pulled out Nicole's chair for her and she sat down, she focused on the immaculate plate of succulent food before her to get a closer look at it. She'd later find out it was lobster poached with rutabaga, pear and lovage bisque, something she had never tried before, but it was bursting with so much color and texture and aroma, she was ready to dive mouth first into it.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" he said as he picked up the bottle off of the table.

"I'd love one."

"Just say when," he smirked, recalling their dinner together at the Clocktower.

"When," Nicole said when her glass was only halfway full this time.

As they enjoyed every juicy, tender bite of their five-star meal that was cooked to perfection just for them, they talked and got to know each other even better. It was like they were the only two people in the world and they were in no hurry to finish. Nicole was caught up in everything Xander was offering to her. She had been happily swept up in the whirlwind of his charms and hadn't thought of anything else but being there with him – not work, not Salem, and certainly not about waiting longer or stopping or putting conditions on what her heart was telling her do, which was to leap, feet first, eyes open, straight into his waiting arms.

"I'll be right back," Xander said as he went into the kitchen and then came back out within seconds.

"Okay, close your eyes, Nicole."

"What are you up to now?"

Xander pushed his chair next to Nicole and put the plate of crème brûlée down on the table and cut a generous portion of it and scooped it up with a fork.

"Now open your mouth for me."

"What?" Nicole quickly responded.

"Open up your mouth."

"Okay, okay," she said as she began to get fidgety in her chair.

"Nicole, do you trust me?"

"I think so," she said hesitantly keeping her eyes shut but showing him a teasing grin.

"I said, Do you trust me?"

She exhaled in defeat and said, "Yes, I trust you."

"Then open up."

Nicole pushed her eyes tighter together and slowly opened her mouth, but quickly closed it before Xander was able to put the piece of dessert into her mouth.

"Nicole," he said in a scolding but playful way.

"I'm just kidding," she said as she quickly opened up her mouth again so Xander could delicately place the piece of crème brûlée in her mouth as she bit down cautiously on it.

"Oh, my God, is this - is this crème brûlée? I haven't had this in ages. Mmmm, it's so rich and creamy and sugary."

Nicole swallowed her bite of crème brûlée heaven and then licked her lips to get every loose crumb.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes, you can open your eyes."

Nicole opened her eyes and immediately began looking for her piece of crème brûlée.

"Oh, do you want more?" Xander teased as he grabbed the plate, cut a big piece of the crème brûlée, waved it in front of Nicole's mouth tempting her with it, then proceeded to take the bite for himself.

"Hey, that was mine," she pouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want that?" he teased her with a mischievous grin.

"You better give me another bite of that," she demanded while trying to grab for the plate behind his back to no avail.

"Or what?" he dared her to tell him.

"Come on, Xander, you know you want to give that to me," Nicole said as she slowly leaned her body as close as she could to his, then licked her lips as she looked hungrily at his mouth, baiting him instantly.

"Well, of course, I can always be persuaded to give you what you want," he said as he looked straight down at her mouth that was effectively enticing and drawing him in.

"Actually..." Nicole suddenly wiped the corner of Xander's mouth with her thumb and then put her thumb into her mouth as he stood open-mouthed and almost panting.

"Yummy," she said seductively while tasting the sugary custard she'd scraped off the corner of his mouth, leaving Xander gasping for air from her little well-acted seduction.

"Okay, you win," he hurriedly took the plate from behind his back and handed it to Nicole, who won the battle with the crème brûlée fair and square evidenced by the hard-on she had created between his legs.

"I knew you'd see it my way," she smirked at him as she quickly grabbed the dessert plate from his hands and sat there and devoured every last bite of it. Xander sat back in his chair and quietly enjoyed the show with a huge smile on his face. He could only sit there shaking his head with pride at how the woman he desired played him like a fiddle. _Well played, Nicole. Well played._

"So how'd you like to work off that meal?" Xander suggested after she put her fork down and practically licked the plate with her fingers.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Nicole asked, her curiosity sufficiently piqued.

"How about a dance?"

"What, here?"

"Yes, here," he answered her as he walked over to the television and flipped it to the preset music station and an Ed Sheeran song began to play.

He walked back over to where she was sitting at the table and held his hand out to her.

"May I have this dance, Nicole?"

"Yes, you certainly may," she grinned widely as she stood up and was swept immediately into his waiting arms.

As they danced hand in hand, body against body, Nicole melted into his strong arms like she belonged in them. His confident swagger was in full swing as he took the lead and never relinquished it, pulling her oh, so close to him and touching her in all the right places.

Nicole was still reeling from everything but mostly she was just free-falling fast and she didn't want the night to end. As he held her in his arms, she whispered sweetly in his ear, "Xander, if I don't remember to tell you before the night is over, I want you to know I'll never forget this day for as long as I live."

"Neither will I, Nicole," he whispered in response to her while gently stroking her back.

"I wanted to make you feel special, because you mean a lot to me," he told her as they both held onto each other tightly letting the moment sink in, but not yet making eye contact due to the nervous sexual tension in the air.

"Mission accomplished," she said as she moved in closer, placing her cheek against his and maneuvering her body in a way to get as close to him as she could. When she felt his warm breath on her shoulder, it instantly made her heart beat rapidly inside of her chest. The electricity pulsating through her veins began to explode throughout her body causing her knees to grow weak beneath her from the intensity that kept building and building between them.

As Xander took a deep breath in, he then let out a resounding breath. "Mmm, you smell like vanilla."

"Oh, that? It came with my body massage. You like?" she asked.

"I most definitely like," he inhaled her in again. "To tell you the truth, it's driving me a little crazy."

 _Who's driving who crazy here? she screamed within. Who the hell am I waiting for if not Xander, for Christ's sake?_

Xander subtly placed his hand in the small of her back, which sent chills racing down her spine. She was beginning to realize that even the simplest of touches from Xander were affecting her mind and body in more ways than one. As she felt the temperature rising to unbearable heights, she was about to make her move and had no reservations about it.

"Xander?" she said as she swallowed hard trying to get her nerve up to make her move, whatever that was going to be, but Xander must have had the same idea in mind, because as soon as she turned her head toward him, his mouth suddenly pressed against hers as he planted the most incredibly soft and romantically slow kiss on her surprised-but-definitely-receptive lips and didn't pull away for several seconds.

"Nicole, I don't want to wait anymore," he said when he finally released his lips from hers.

"Wh - what?" she stumbled on her words while still catching her breath from his kiss that knocked her off her feet.

"I will, though, I'll wait for you, if that's what you need me to do."

"Xander, I don't want -"

"But please, Nicole" - he pleaded cupping her cheek and breathing heavily -"don't make me wait...not anymore," he said desperately ready to take what he wanted.

Nicole, without hesitation, kissed Xander back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and answered his pleas the only way she knew how, by telling him she didn't want to make him wait anymore.

"I don't want to wait either. That's what I was trying to tell you."

"I didn't mean to interrupt you. It's just I want you so damn much."

"I feel the same way," she softly whispered.

"Oh, Nicole, finally..." Xander felt her words like a ton of bricks. He saw that she was caught up in the moment as much as he was and he was going to take full advantage of the opening she was giving him and he was not going to hold back this time. He pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her with everything he had in him, the emotion, the desire, the lust. He held her face firmly in his hands while he worked his tongue like a seasoned pro while it danced in perfect tempo with hers.

As the kissing got more heated and passionate, his mouth then found its way to her neck, which had been more than tempting him during their dance, and he began to excitedly kiss every inch of it to her delight as he inhaled the vanilla scent of her silky skin. His labored breathing and intensity only turned her on more, but whatever his mouth was doing with her neck felt far too gratifying to interrupt. As much as she wanted to start ripping his clothes off, she stayed patient and more than satisfied being on the receiving end of a very seductive, turned on and in control Xander.

"Goddamn, Nicole, YOU. ARE. SO. FUCKING. SEXY," he said in between his onslaught of neck kissing, which finally proved to be enough for Nicole to take and she dragged him off of her neck and pulled him back down on her mouth as she tried to remove his tie while throwing the rest of her attention into kissing him.

"I want you, Xander," she said completely breathless from the sexual excitement her body was experiencing.

"I know you do," he replied as his kissing grew more intensified by the second, not being able to resist her.

"How the hell do I get this off?" he uttered breathlessly while trying to unclasp the back of her dress, to no avail, so he could unzip her out of it.

"Xander, just take me to bed," she insisted as she finally managed to get his tie off and threw it to the ground.

Xander instantly swept her up in his arms and cradled her while kissing her mouth. Without the advantage of seeing where he was going due to being completely focused on Nicole, he somehow managed to find the bedroom sight unseen and carried her over by the bed where he set her down near the foot of it.

"As much as I love this dress, it's gotta come off now."

"Then come here," she teased as she motioned with her index finger for him to come closer.

Xander didn't have to be asked twice. He turned her around and, again, tried to open the clasp, this time successfully getting it open and beginning the task of unzipping her out of her gown. He watched as it slowly pulled slightly open revealing the skin on her back and enjoying the view. He allowed his fingers to run down her back as the zipper descended down inch by inch until it reached the bottom. He then let out a deep breath as he pulled her dress open, guiding it off of her shoulders and kissing the back of her neck as it it slid down over her hips and onto the floor below. He held her hand as she stepped out of it, staying completely focused on her. With her still facing away from him, he undid the clasp on her bra and slid it off of her.

"Do you have something with you?" Nicole said as she turned around to face him.

Xander reached into his back pocket to grab his wallet and then pulled out a condom. "I've been saving this for you."

As he ripped open the package, Nicole sat down at the foot of the bed looking up at him while she unbuttoned his pants and then pulled them down. He slipped on the condom and then Nicole stood back up and immediately ripped open his shirt in grand fashion and then hurled her almost naked body into him.

Xander let her have control briefly but then he grabbed her gently by her shoulders and pushed her down onto the bed leaving her feet barely touching the floor below. He stood over her briefly just enjoying the view from above. He leaned over her, touching her face and lips, then slowly ran his fingers under her neck, over her breasts and down her stomach. When he reached her panties, he gently tugged at them playfully while she lay there with her arms thrown behind her head in anticipation of what was to come.

"I want you completely naked, Nicole," he whispered seductively, seducing her more as he slid her panties all the way off and tossed them to the side. He looked at her long, thin, flawless naked body and savored every inch of her before he began to have his way with her.

"Damn, Nicole..." he said shaking his head back and forth while biting down on his lip feeling so hungry for her like he was about to have his last meal.

"Why don't you come closer?" she lured him in as she propped herself up on her elbows.

All of a sudden, he bent down over her, placing his hands on her inner thighs and rubbing them as he moved downward.

"Lay back," he directed her and she released her arms and fell back on the bed, her breathing beginning to pick up again.

Without warning, he inserted his finger inside of her, completely catching her off guard as her body felt the sudden impact of his little maneuver, which got her entirely worked up and ready for more.

"Oh, shit," she cried out.

"I'm telling you right now, Nicole, I'm gonna take my sweet damn time fucking you," he warned her directly as he steadily worked that finger deep inside of her.

"Take as long as you fuckin' want," she yelled out cursing and squirming beneath him on the bed as he continued to hover over her.

He suddenly came down on top of her, his mouth claiming hers, at the same time sliding his right hand under her lower back and picking her up in one smooth motion to pull her all he way up to the head of the bed, never breaking his hold on her mouth. She gasped with enjoyment as she felt how much he wanted her with every push of his tongue inside her mouth. She threw her fingers into his hair inviting everything that was being done to her and wanting more. Her breathing intensified as he rubbed his right hand over her breast, stopping only to bite down slightly on her nipple then tickling it repeatedly with his tongue until it became firm in his mouth. With his left arm tucked under her neck, he moved his right hand down her trembling body meticulously caressing each curve as he reached it. When he reached her hip, he massaged it gently but deeply before he moved over to her outer thigh and then along her inner thigh area massaging freely as he went. As he grasped her inner thigh, he used his fingers to knead into her soft, silky skin until they found their way between her legs. He teased her by stroking and rubbing up and down between her legs just along the surface while she moved feverishly beneath him waiting for what was coming. When he felt she was sufficiently aroused, her body in a frenzy of desire, he slipped his finger inside of her again causing her to cry out in sheer pleasure as she moaned into Xander's ear loudly and then bit down on it.

"Mmm, Nicole, you're so warm inside," which only turned him on further. He continued to ravage her body until she was begging him inside of her.

"Please, Xander," she called out in desperation.

"Please what?" he teased as he drove another finger inside of her.

"Oh, God," she said as she felt a sudden rushing barrage of pleasure throughout her body. "I can't take it anymore," she yelled out breathlessly.

"I don't mean to make you wait, baby," he apologized.

"Then don't," she begged.

Right at that moment out of nowhere a beam of light from the window cast down onto the bed right on Nicole's face.

Xander exhaled loudly at what he saw. "It scares me just how beautiful you are," he said as he looked down on her while caressing her face.

Nicole looked up at Xander one last time, kissing his lips gently, and then whispered softly to him, "And it scares me how you make me feel."

With that final admission, whatever it meant or didn't mean, Xander couldn't prolong this another second.

"Come here," he whispered, slowly pulling her into a kiss. He immediately positioned himself above her as she grabbed him between his legs and slid himself inside of her. As each inch of him moved further inside of her, she began to groan with pleasure. He knew his feelings for her were strong, but he wasn't quite expecting the magnitude of feelings that, in that moment of desire and passion, had washed over him. As he kissed her passionately, he moved inside of her deeper and deeper establishing a steady rhythm but taking his sweet fucking time because he could feel his emotions getting the better of him. He realized at that moment he wasn't just having sex with Nicole, something he had wanted for so long, but he was making love to her and he was going to let her feel that for as long as he could.

As things began to heat up with every smooth and deep thrust he pushed upon her, Nicole began to moan heavier as she felt the full effect of his moving in and out of her repeatedly, setting just the right pace and hitting all the right spots. Xander left no spot untouched.

"I won't ever get enough of you, Nicole," he said as he had her body tingling from one side to the next from his bombardment of steady repetitive lunges inside and out of her. "I just want to stay inside you."

"Mmm, it feels so good," Nicole cried out a few times, then used her body to roll over on top of him not breaking their firm hold onto each other. As she rode on top of him, he grabbed hold of her hips while she threw her head backwards feeling the intense stimulation between her legs while he moved deeper inside of her. With every thrust in and out, she slowly began to feel her body quiver inside. The ecstasy inside of her continued to build and build until she could feel it creeping closer and closer to the surface until her weakened, tired body couldn't take any more of the invited invasion of persistent pleasure that was being thrown upon it. Suddenly her body erupted, trembling with extreme exhilaration. Her body collapsed straight down on his chest full of sweat and exhaustion. After a few minutes of catching her breath, she rolled off of him leaving her arm stretched across his upper chest as she placed her head between his chin and shoulder and pressed her mouth against the inside of his neck with her eyes closed. He softly ran his fingers along the back of her neck as they laid together in silence for a few minutes or more.

* * *

"You're so quiet," he finally broke the silence.

"I don't mean to be," she replied.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly rubbing the side of her arm tenderly.

She leaned her head up towards him and kissed his lips gently and said to him, "I'm perfect."

As she laid her head back on his chest, she inevitably thought about going back to Salem in the morning, back to a reality that isn't in New York City.

"You know, I'm not ready to go home tomorrow."

"You're not?" he said surprised.

"Are you?" she questioned back.

"Wherever you're going is where I want to be," he answered sincerely.

"Well, I don't suppose we can hide here forever away from the real world?" she asked.

"You know that I would hide with you anywhere, Nicole, you would just have to ask, but I saw how much this assignment meant to you firsthand. You're not ready to give up your job. You love it, admit it."

"I do love it. I just didn't know how much I'd love New York."

"It is a magical place, I can vouch for that," he said as he kissed her forehead.

"And I guess I just wanted more time alone with you," she added.

"Nicole, things don't have to change just because we're going back to Salem tomorrow."

"But it's not the same," she answered with a disappointed tone.

"So what are you saying? What happens in New York stays in New York?"

"No, that's not what I'm -"

"So this is it? You wanna just go back to being friends slash co-workers when we go back to Salem?"

"Whoa, whoa, settle down, cowboy. I haven't thought that far ahead. I want to move forward, not backward. Look, can we go back to what we were doing five minutes ago and think about the logistics of our relationship tomorrow? Right now I just wanna be here with you."

"Well, good, because I'm not done with you yet."

Xander suddenly grabbed onto Nicole and in one slick move he slid her over top of him where she was now laying flat on top of him.

"That was quite the move, slick," she smiled down at him looking impressed.

"What am I going to do with you?" he shook his head, grinning back at her.

She contemplated his question for a few seconds and replied with a mischievous grin, "Well, tonight, Mr. Kiriakis, anything you want to do."

"Oh, I love when Naughty Nicole comes out to play. I think she might need a spanking."

"Oh, really?" she raised an eyebrow.

He suddenly grabbed her ass in his hands and proceeded to swat her right cheek twice.

"Oh, my" she exclaimed as she perked up and dug her hand in his side to tickle him, showing she was accepting his little punishment with satisfaction.

"You like that, do you?" he smirked as he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her with wild abandon.

She came up for air briefly, staring down at him. "You up for Round 2?" she said as she tugged the bottom of his ear playfully with her mouth.

"Nicole, I can last all night," he took her in his arms and pleasured her in more ways and Rounds than she could count over and over again into the wee hours of the morning just as he promised.


	10. Mile High Club

"Wake up, Nicole."

Nicole stirred a bit with her eyes still closed.

"Come on, open your eyes. We just took off a little while ago."

Nicole finally recognized the voice and opened her eyes at 30,000 feet with a quiet, long yawn.

"I missed the take-off? How did that happen? Why did you let me fall asleep?" she accused him as she sat up in her seat.

"Let you? It was more like I put our bags in the overhead compartment and when I sat down you were out like a light."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. And you talk in your sleep too," he added.

"I do not!" she elevated her voice as she rejected that idea.

"Yes, you do."

"What did I say then?" she urged him to tell her right that second.

"It was hard to make out. It was mostly "OH, XANDER..." and then a lot of mumbling and moaning," he said rather straight-faced until he couldn't withhold his crafty little grin from creeping out spontaneously.

"That's not funny," she scolded him by smacking him across the arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm just messing with you, Nicole."

"You better be," she said rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.

"Are you uncomfortable? he asked with a concerned face.

"It's not that, " she answered.

"Oh, did you get a crick in your neck from sleeping in that seat?"

"Yeah, I think so," she said continuing to rub her neck. "Unless it was from some other extracurricular activity," she said as she raised a sly accusatory eyebrow at him.

"Turn around, let me rub that out for you."

(Yawning) "You don't have to."

"I want to, especially if I'm somehow to blame. Now face the other way, please, " he directed her as he began to massage her neck.

"Mmm, that feels so much better when you do it."

He leaned up closer to her from behind. "It's supposed to," he said softly to her.

"I'm just so sluggish this morning and out of sorts," she said closing her eyes as he worked his hands into her sore neck.

"I guess 'someone' didn't get a lot of sleep last night," he suggested while he massaged.

"Hmm, I wonder why that is? I seem to recall some guy keeping me up till the wee hours."

"I can't say that I blame him. Smart guy, that one. I bet he's very good-looking too, huh?" he said as Nicole pulled his hand off her neck and turned her body back around in her seat to see him flashing a sexy smile in her direction.

"You know, as a matter of fact, you'd love him. He's kind of full of himself," she teased back.

"Is he now?" he perked up sensing the little game of wits they liked to play was just beginning.

"But he is really, Really, REALLY easy on the eyes, so I can forgive him for that one incy wincy flaw," she said trying to hide her sneaky grin.

"A flaw, you say?" he said as he abruptly leaned over his seat towards Nicole. "Do you know what I think?" he whispered in her ear and then began to nibble on it with his tongue.

"Xander," she said looking around to see if they had an audience, "You're really gonna do this here and now?" she said as she exhaled deeply biting down on her lip and definitely not pushing him away.

"I think you like this, Nicole," he continued on, which then caused her to begin to wiggle around in her seat.

"Just admit it," he urged her on some more, blowing in her ear.

"Well, it doesn't suck," she said in the midst of his biting down gently on her lobe.

Xander suddenly released her and moved back over in his seat, leaving Nicole completely breathless.

"I think I won that round," he said with a satisfied wink, and Nicole could only smirk back at him with a job-well-done congratulatory nod.

Nicole wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was for the morning after a night like that, whether to play it cool or not, but it seemed like their sexual attraction for each other was entirely intact and going strong, which was the easy part. They hadn't yet discussed fully where they stood or what last night meant or what was going to happen when they got back to Salem and back to the real world filled with those pesky people that would love to cause them problems. What happened between them was wonderful and unexpected, but what now? Do they keep seeing each other casually but keep it on the down-low or are they exclusive now and do they go public and say to hell with everyone? Were they just going to jump into a serious relationship or were they just going to date and take it slow? All good questions that needed to be answered very soon, but Nicole did not want to be the one to broach such a serious subject this early in the morning without her first cup of coffee to clear her head, so she just shook it off and changed the subject.

"Have you talked to Philip this morning? Is he in a good mood?" Nicole asked.

"I did talk to him. He wants us to meet him at the office first thing when we get back this afternoon. There's some major developments happening apparently and he needs us there immediately, but he wouldn't tell me over the phone."

"Hmm, that kind of doesn't tell us anything, does it?" Nicole said rolling her eyes. "I wonder if it's bad news."

"Well, we'll just have to see when we get there. No use trying to figure it out now."

"I guess you're right," she conceded.

"But there is something we probably should talk about, though, Nicole."

"Like what?" she asked, playing dumb.

"Us."

"What about us?"

"Well, since we had no time this morning, I thought we could talk about what happened last night."

"Isn't it obvious?" she teased trying to keep the conversation light.

"Wow, you are quite the sassy one this morning, aren't you, young lady?"

"I don't know, am I?" she asked, proving his point.

"Nicole..."

"Anyway, I thought guys were the last ones that wanted to 'talk' about these things."

"Are we back to putting me in the random guy category?"

"No, we're not. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"What's gotten into you this morning?"

"I haven't had my coffee yet," she answered. "I really need some caffeine ASAP."

"I'll get you some straight away," he said turning to the stewardess across the aisle.

"Excuse me, Miss, can I get a cup of coffee, please, with -"

"Cream and sugar, right?" he turned to confirm that with Nicole.

"Very good. You've been paying attention," Nicole smiled and Xander smiled back at her, ignoring the stewardess briefly.

"Excuse me. Is that all, sir?" the impatient flight attendant interrupted their moment.

"I'm sorry, make it two," he answered her.

"I'd like French Vanilla flavored cream for mine, if you have it," Nicole said politely.

"I have regular and Toasted Hazelnet," the attendant said not so politely.

"So you don't have any French Vanilla at all?" Nicole asked for verification.

"That's what I just said. There could be some floating around here somewhere, but -"

"Well, could you look?" Nicole asked, picking up on the flight attendant's unexplained snotty vibe.

"Just one moment," she said and then turned to Xander.

"Anything else I can get for you, sir? the stewardess smiled widely at Xander trying to make eye contact, which made Nicole uncomfortable.

"No, just the coffee, please," he said barely looking up at the attendant who was staring down on him, so she finally walked off.

"Now I get it," Nicole said shaking her head.

"Get what?" Xander turned to look at her.

"I was wondering why she was so cold to me. It's because she wants to get hot with you."

"Excuse me? Don't be ridiculous," he chuckled.

"She was flirting with you, Xander."

"No, she wasn't. She was just being polite," he said completely oblivious to what she was referring to.

"Don't be coy. You had to see that. She was giving you the green light, and right in front of me too. I wouldn't be surprised if she slipped you her number so she can ask you to 'layover' with her."

"You're adorable when you're jealous, you know that?"

"I'm not jealous! She was just so obvious. And that was just rude. I mean, how does she know we're not married or something?"

"First of all, sweetheart, if we were married, you'd have a flawless 3 carat diamond rock on your finger, that's a given. Second of all, as flattered as I am with this little display of yours, I'm so far removed from any other female right now, I wouldn't notice if that flight attendant slash stewardess woman, whatever the hell the proper term is now, fell into my lap."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"That's the only way to put it," he assured her.

He turned his body more toward her in the seat and placed his hand on her thigh and kept it there. "Right now all I'm interested in is talking about us right now and where we go from here. Some total stranger getting us coffee who I have no intention of ever seeing again is the last thing on my mind," he said matter of factly while looking deep into her baby blues to drive home the point.

"Are we good now?" he invited her response.

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled.

"So where do we go from here? It's a simple question," he sat there waiting for an answer to it.

"I don't have a crystal ball, Xander. I'm more a live-in-the-moment kind of gal." _What am I even saying?_

"I just want to know that I'm not in this alone, Nicole. You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"Here is your coffee, sir," suddenly the flight attendant appeared just in time to interrupt their little discussion and handed Xander his cup of coffee while discreetly slipping him a folded up piece of paper.

"Where is her cup?" Xander said as he unfolded the note to see a phone number written on it and then began to shake his head slightly thinking, Y _ou don't have a crystal ball my ass, Nicole._

"Oh, I ran out after I poured yours. I'm having to brew another pot. Sorry about that, Miss," she said in a very non-sorry kind of way while practically gawking at Xander.

Xander picked up on her attitude and immediately handed his coffee to Nicole. "Here you go, darlin'. You can have mine." Then he turned his attention to the stewardess.

"Okay, it's not happening, sweetheart," he said bluntly to the woman, handing her back her number.

"Beg your pardon?" she asked slightly embarrassed. "I didn't mean to -"

"Yes, you did," he said cutting her off. "Just apologize to my fiancee' and we'll leave it at that."

"I'm sorry, Miss, I didn't know y'all were engaged."

"Well, you sure as hell knew we were on this plane together and that didn't stop you. I guess there's a shortage of class in First Class," Nicole complained and then turned her nose to her.

"I'm sorry," Xander offered Nicole an apology.

"It's okay. Men are blind, but us girls, we spot other skanky bitches coming from a mile away."

"So where were we?" he said trying to continue their conversation where they left off.

"Huh?" she answered his question with a question.

"Nicole, when you evade the question like that, it makes me think you want to avoid this topic altogether. Is it because you still don't know what you want? Are we going back to that again, even after last night?"

He turned away from her and looked straight ahead as he breathed some of his frustration in and out.

"Xander, it's not that at all. I'd just rather talk about this later when we're not surrounded by people like that" - she motioned over at the stewardess - "and had a chance to think this through, that's all. There are a lot of things to consider, you know? But I'm not trying to -"

"Nicole, we don't know these people and they don't give a damn about our lives."

"Why are you pressing this right now? We just slept together last night. We're not REALLY engaged. We're on a plane back home. Can't you let me breathe for just a second?" Nicole regretted that comment as soon as she made it.

"You're still not ready to trust someone, are you?" he said looking right at her. "After everything that happened, you still don't really trust me, do you?"

"I do trust you. I told you that," she replied.

"But, what, you just want more time? You just want to pretend nothing happened; is that what you want?"

"What? I never said that.''

"Why do you care what anyone thinks at Titan or anywhere else? That's what you're really worried about, isn't it? I care about you, Nicole, I really do. How many more ways can I show you that? Isn't that all that should matter?"

"Hold on a second. Can I get a word in here, please? I'm way past caring about what anyone thinks about me, you know that. I never said I wanted to act like nothing happened. You're putting words into my mouth, so stop it. You're driving me crazy. The way you're acting now is making me think you don't trust me."

"I need some air. I'll be right back," he abruptly stood up.

"Well, how are you going to get air when you're on an airplane, smart guy?" she said purposely being a smart-ass.

 _Oh, she makes my blood boil. Maybe I'll just jump off this fucking plane and call her bluff._

"Listen, Nicole," he said still standing in the aisle.

"What?" she snapped back at him.

"Just forget it. I'm walking away now before I say something I'll regret." He huffed and puffed as he walked off and Nicole threw her arms together, crossing them over her chest, and then proceeded to pout there in her seat like a child who didn't get her way.

(Ten minutes later in the airplane facilities)

"She's the most goddamn FRUSTRATING, EXASPERATING, MADDENING"– he takes a deep breath in and out to calm down – "beautiful, intoxicating, breathtaking...INFURIATING WOMAN I've ever met," he yelled as he fought with himself in a space the size of a box.

 _(Knock, knock, knock.)_

"It's OCCUPIED," he cried out with a bad attitude.

 _(Knock, knock, knock)_

"I said it's OCCU" - he stopped mid-word when he flung open the door. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" he snarled, still caught somewhere in the middle of her being the infuriating and intoxicating version of Nicole.

"Can I come in?" she asked calmly.

"In here?" he asked as he scanned the claustrophobic closet-sized bathroom.

"Yes, in there, if that's okay."

"Suit yourself," he said, somewhat taking a step back.

Xander slid back as far as he could as Nicole entered the bathroom and leaned against the small sink in front of him.

"What's so urgent you couldn't wait, Nicole?"

"I think that was our first real fight," she said trying to break some of the tension in an already crowded space.

"Aren't we still fighting?" he asked, leaning against the opposite wall trying to stand his ground.

"Xander, I don't want to fight with you at all," she stated sincerely, which seemed to slightly soften his mood.

"You know I don't want to fight with you either, Nicole," he responded by almost taking a step toward her but stopping himself before he made the move. "That's the last thing I want."

"Then hear me out, please," she pleaded.

"I'm listening."

"Xander, nothing I said in there came out right. It came out all wrong. I'm sorry, okay?"

"So please tell me what you meant."

"I never meant to imply that what happened between us meant nothing or I was ashamed somehow to be with you. It's not like that at all."

"What's it like then?" he asked straightforward and direct, obviously not in the mood to mince words. "Because I've been more than up front with you, haven't I?"

"You have been and I appreciate that more than you know. I'm just still a little gunshy when it comes to things like this, but I am trying here, I promise you," she explained.

He took a deep breath in and relaxed a bit. "So what did you come in here to tell me?"

"I meant to say, although I did an extremely bad job articulating it, that I do want to try this, whatever this is, with you."

Xander stood up taller, listening more intently. "Try, meaning?" he urged her for a more clear and precise explanation.

"You're really gonna make me spell it out, aren't you?" she said quietly holding her head down.

Xander decided to break the distance barrier and stretched his hand out to her and lifted up her chin slightly so he could look her in the eye.

"Please tell me what you want, Nicole."

"I want you to stay like you are, like you've been with me since you've been back. I don't want you to change like all the others have and eventually walk out that door and leave me. I don't want you to realize one day I'm not worth it anymore."

"Nicole..." he said trying to touch her face but she threw her hand up to stop him.

"Please let me get this out or I never will."

"I'm sorry, go ahead," he said allowing her the space she needed.

"You make me feel things in a certain way I haven't felt before," she said raising her head back up to look right at him. "I trust you, Xander, and it's so hard for me to trust any man. But most of all" - she paused briefly -"I feel safe with you and nobody ever makes me feel safe."

She turned her head to the side away from him feeling like she had revealed more than she wanted to about her insecurities from years of being abused and treated badly.

His guilt suddenly got the better of him after he realized he treated her unfairly. He tried reaching out for her face again as he asked her tenderly, "Nicole, can you look at me, please?"

"Don't, okay?" she said, throwing her hands up as her her chin fell to her chest. "I'm so fucked up."

"Nicole," he grabbed her face this time and held it in his hands. "You are not fucked up. DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"I am. I never can make relationships work. I end up screwing everything up."

"Listen to me. You've never had me before. I don't frighten easily, not with my past. You've been mistreated and wronged by a bunch of fuckhead assholes for far too long. Your perception is just a little fucked up, not you."

"Oh, is that all?" she tried making light of it.

"If we're just honest and open with each other, we can just make this up as we go along. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She slowly nodded her head at him.

"Good. I just don't want you to be afraid. There's no reason to be. I won't hurt you."

Tears began to fill up her eyes.

"Oh, no, don't do that. Come here. Come here," he said as he kissed her gently on her forehead and pulled her into his chest and held her tight.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions before. Forgive me, please?" he asked her very sincerely.

She got out a good cry and then let go of him and looked up at him. She put her hands behind her back and placed them down on the small counter.

"There's nothing to forgive," she smiled up at him for a few seconds. "I want this...you and me," she indicated by motioning her finger back and forth between the two of them.

"You do, you want this?" he asked wanting to verify her response.

"I do. I want to be with you, Xander. I haven't thought about anyone but you for the last 48 hours."

"I thought you'd never see it my way," he smiled with relief.

"You've kind of made it impossible for me not to. I can't get you out of my head."

"I can't get you out of mine either," he said breathlessly while leaning in to kiss her mouth.

"Wait, hold on. I have one condition," she said stopping him mid lean.

"What's the condition?" he frowned slightly.

"That we have no conditions," she said with a sweet smile.

Xander needed no further explanation and moved exactly the one step it took to get to her. He lifted her up onto the small sink/counter and kissed her mouth as be began to unbutton her shirt.

"I guess that's a yes," she said breathlessly as she reciprocated by doing the same with his shirt.

"It's a yes, that I'm going to have my way with you right here on this counter right now."

Xander put his hand under Nicole's skirt, trying to reach for her panties but in the tight space it was deemed almost impossible. She improvised by hiking up her skirt as far as it would go and then placing her long legs on the wall behind Xander for leverage as she scooted forward trying to give him the access he needed to get the job done. He was more than happy to take it from there as he reached between her legs, pulled her panties to the side while Nicole in turn unzipped his pants and grabbed onto him, leaving him the task of leaning forward into her so he could slide right on in.

"Oh, fuck!" she called out as she felt every inch of him fill her up inside because of the tight position they were in.

"Is that what you wanted?" he moaned heavily in her ear as he drove himself into her.

"Oh, God, yes..."

 _Nicole Walker and Xander Cook, both members of the Mile High Club._

* * *

 _ **Did you like this chapter? Please leave a comment or a review to let me know you are with me in this story! Thanks so much for reading!**_


	11. Victor Kiriakis

Since I made you wait longer for this one - sorry - it's extra long!

* * *

When Nicole and Xander touched down in Salem, they had a multitude of various feelings. They were happy to be home and get back into the groove of things; they couldn't wait to hang out together and see where their relationship took them; they couldn't keep their wandering hands off of each other for any reasonable length of time; and they were more than a little disappointed that their magical time in New York had come to an end. They talked about telling Philip and even joked about how he'd react to them seeing each other and working together, especially when the reason they made the trip to New York in the first place was because a couple of employees up and eloped, but they also knew this was happening whether Philip approved or not. However, they wanted to handle it delicately and discreetly while being upfront about it. But today the consensus was to keep it between themselves until they heard what this unexpected announcement was that Philip had to make at Titan.

(Titan Industries 11:30 am.)

"Nicole, Xander, great to have you back," Philip said as he welcomed Xander and Nicole into his office with a firm handshake for each.

"Great to be back," Nicole responded with a huge smile.

"Nice leather bag you have there, Nicole," Philip grinned slyly when he noticed her holding the briefcase he had bought for her.

"Oh, I almost forgot about this. I love it, by the way. But you didn't have to buy me a new briefcase. I was going to get one, eventually."

"It was my gift to you for being such a team player, Nicole. You really got me out of a jam by going to New York last minute."

"Just doing my job, boss," she said happily.

"Well, you deserved it. And not to mention, you were a certified hit. You really exceeded my expectations in every way. I saw some of the pictures. They're truly fantastic. Not to mention, I haven't stopped hearing your high praises from all those involved in front of and behind the camera. They all want to work with you again. I knew I picked the right person for the job."

"Thank you, Philip, but I didn't do it alone. Xander here was instrumental in this project being a success," she added, looking over at Xander who was just standing there quiet thus far.

"I guess it's lucky he was also able to go in my place," Philip said, giving Xander a nod of gratitude with a little hint of suspicion attached to it.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without him," she continued to throw compliments her man's way.

"Nicole, I'm well aware of Xander's capabilities, but I just wanted you to know personally how much I've valued having you here. You've really proven yourself. I just want you to remember that."

"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard so many nice things come out of your mouth about me at one time. Thank you for trusting me and trusting my abilities to do this job. It means the world to me. I love working here. I don't know what I would do if you hadn't taken a chance on me, especially when your father hates my guts."

Xander studied Philip's expression as he listened to Nicole and caught something in Philip's demeanor that didn't sit right with him, almost as if he felt guilty about something.

"Nicole, why don't you go grab yourself some coffee, a doughnut, croissant, whatever, until we're ready for the board meeting. There's also a ton of messages on your desk that need your attention," Philip informed her.

"Oh, okay, sure," she responded and then glanced over at Xander. "Do you want to get a croissant with me? We didn't really eat on the plane."

"Actually, I need to talk to Philip for a minute alone, if you don't mind," Xander spoke up wanting to get an explanation for Philip's strange vibe he picked up on.

"Now?" she responded with a puzzled look on her face as she tilted her head at Xander wondering what he was up to.

"Nicole, there's some things I need to discuss with Xander as well. You go ahead. I'll see you in about thirty or so minutes. You don't mind, do you?" Philip asked.

"No, why would I mind?" she said as she threw an "oh-shit-are-we-busted?" look in Xander's direction as she began to back up at a snail's pace out of the room.

"Oh, Nicole," Philip yelled out, "will you close the door behind you?"

"Sure," she said as she looked at Xander with 'what's-going-on' eyes and then closed the door slowly.

"Xander, there's something we need to discuss before the meeting," Philip said directly and to the point.

"I kind of got that impression. What's this about?" Xander asked straightforwardly, wondering if this had to do with him and Nicole or if it had to do with the missing file situation he was assured by his accomplice would never be linked back to him.

"Let's sit, shall we?" Philip suggested and then proceeded to sit down in the chair behind his desk.

"I'll stand, if you don't mind. I'd rather you just say what you need to say, Philip."

"Okay, I'll just come out with it then. I have some news about my father," Philip commented as he leaned back in his chair.

"Victor? Is he all right? He's not -"

"No, he's not dead," Philip answered. "That would probably be easier to tell you than what -" Philip mumbled inaudibly under his breath.

"What was that?" Xander asked for clarification. "I didn't hear you."

Philip took a deep breath in and out.

"What is it? Tell me." Xander demanded more information on account of Philip's reluctance to spit it out.

"My father has gotten a lot better," Philip said plainly.

"Come again?"

"Victor is coherent and talking. He's in a wheelchair but he's moving around," Philip explained.

"Well, that's great. Why in the world didn't you just say that? You looked like you had really distressing news."

"There's more to it than that," Philip said plainly.

"Like what?" Xander asked. "When did this all happen anyway?"

"It actually happened two days ago, right after you and Nicole left for New York. He woke up, started barking orders at the nursing staff and demanded to be released from the facility. I thought about calling you as soon as I heard, but you had just left and I didn't want to throw a wrench in what you were doing down there. I needed you to have your focus completely on what you and Nicole were sent there to do. We needed that photo shoot to go off without a hitch and to have no unwanted complications, and by the looks of things, I made the right decision."

"You still should have called me, Philip," Xander said in an agitated tone. "Victor is my family too."

"And what would you have done? Canceled the trip and rushed back here? That would have cost the company thousands if we had to cancel that shoot at the last minute. You know my father is all about good business and he would have demanded you handled Titan business first. Knowing about Victor would have just distracted you from what you were doing over there. I knew you'd be back in a day - well, it turned out to be two, but that's only because you and Nicole were such a success."

"I suppose you're right, but you could have called or texted me on the plane this morning and gave me a heads up at least," Xander informed him.

"Well, what's done is done," Philip said. "I can't change it now."

"So how is he?" Xander asked in a concerned tone. "Last I heard, they didn't think he'd be able to even talk normally again, let alone function properly."

"He made a miraculous recovery considering. He's talking and in good spirits. They may be evil spirits but they're holding their own and so is he. He's rolling around like a champ in his wheelchair right now because he's still partially paralyzed on his left side, but if you were to speak to him, you'd think he was his old tyrant self."

"I want to see him," Xander said. "I've got so much to tell him."

"Well, before you see him, I need to fill you in on some things around here."

"Can't we talk about work later? I want to see my uncle," Xander said impatiently.

"Well, you'll definitely be seeing him. He's the one that called the board meeting."

"He's here, at Titan?" Xander said surprised.

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"He's in the boardroom working on his presentation. But Xander -"

Xander swiftly turned to walk off and Philip immediately got up, ran over to him, grabbing him firmly by the arm to stop him.

"Xander, listen to me. There's more to this than you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I say Victor is here, I mean he's here and he wants control of Titan back."

"Control? You mean he doesn't want to take time to recuperate? He wants to run the company in his condition?" Xander questioned the very idea of that. "Just how ambulatory and level-headed can he be to run the day-to-day operations right now?"

"He doesn't care about all of that. His mind is intact and he's made it perfectly clear that is what he intends to do," Philip answered him.

"Why can't he just let us help him? We've been getting along just fine," Xander said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, you know my father, he's stubborn, power hungry, and driven, and those three things are enough to motivate him, mind and body, to do things most people in his condition couldn't, shouldn't or wouldn't do."

"So what does this mean exactly?" Xander inquired of Philip.

"It means there are going to be some changes around here...and some cuts," Philip responded with a not so encouraging expression on his face.

"Oh, right. Now I see why you wanted to talk to me alone. Let me guess, he wants me out of here. I'm a detriment to the company and not worthy of working in the family business. Am I right?"

"No, as a matter of fact, he was quite receptive to you working here when I told him. I've filled him in on what's been happening and he's heard what you've accomplished since you've been here. He's got no problem with you staying on as long as productivity is up. You know my father, he's all about two things, the bottom line and getting respect."

"Well, then if he's not kicking me out on my ass, than who are the unlucky recipients of his wrath?"

"There's really only one particularly unlucky person my father intends to target," Philip said rubbing his hand over his forehead.

"Who is it?" Xander said still unsure where Philip was going with this.

Philip looked at Xander and his serious yet overly apologetic expression said it all.

Xander suddenly realized why Nicole wasn't a part of this private conversation. "Wait one fucking minute. Don't tell me my uncle is going after Nicole."

"I'm sorry, Xander, he wants her gone and I don't have the authority anymore to do anything about it."

"Why would he do this? I know there's no love lost there, but you hired her based on her qualifications alone and she's proven she's good at what she does. You've even said she's been an asset to this company since she's been here."

"You're preaching to the choir, Xander. I told my father all of this. I even begged him to let me handle it as I saw fit, but him and Nicole go way, way back. I don't have to tell you that. They were married and it wasn't pretty. It's personal with him. It's about respect, remember?"

"Goddamn it, Philip, she lives for this job. You should have seen her in New York. I've never seen someone so happy. She can't lose it now. I won't let that happen."

"Xander, it's out of my hands."

"So you're just going to fire her, just like that?" Xander shouted angrily as he got closer to Philip's face.

"I'm not the one that's going to be doing it," Philip answered him and then looked away visibly apologetic.

"He's going to personally fire her?" Xander gasped with disgust.

Philip nodded his head, his face showing sincere regret.

"When is he planning on doing this?" Xander demanded to know.

"At the board meeting that is happening in about 15 minutes."

"He is going to do this in front of everyone? He would fucking humiliate her like that?"

"I'm sorry, I truly am. I pleaded her case, I promise you. I had my doubts about Nicole at first, but she's proven herself to me. I even tried to pull the rank card on him, but then he proceeded to demote me down to Vice-President of the company and resume his position as CEO and President. At this point, until he retires from this company, is ruled incompetent to fulfill his duties, or dies, he calls the shots and there's nothing I – we – can do about it. This is total bullshit, I know. I love my father but he's set in his ways. Personally, I was resigned to the fact he was never going to come out of his catatonic state, from what the doctors said, let alone come back to work after his stroke or I would have had a contingency plan in place."

"I have to talk to my uncle now."

"Xander, it won't make a difference. You know how he is."

"I have to try. I can't let him do this to her. I won't let him."

"Look, I know you care about her – and I know that's a whole different discussion we need to have at another time – but taking her side in this issue will only get you fired too."

"I don't give a fuck about myself right now. Nicole is about to be ambushed and I have to stop him and try to make him understand how much she loves this job and how good she is at it. This company can't afford to lose her."

"He would rather lose profits than have Nicole working here, Xander. It's a losing cause."

"I have to do something. I have to try."

"Okay, but don't get your hopes up. They'll only come crashing down around you."

Xander walked out of Philip's office and looked straight into Nicole's open door. He gazed over at her from the distance and noticed she had her feet propped up on her desk with a pencil in her mouth while she was having a lively conversation on her phone. Her body was relaxed, her face was full of expression, and her cheerful, carefree mood was enough to show him she was exactly where she wanted and needed to be, and he wasn't about to let Uncle Vic take all that away from her.

"Uncle?" Xander called out to Victor as he entered the boardroom closing the door behind him.

Victor was sitting quietly in his wheelchair near the head of the table when he looked over at Xander with a familiar smirk on his face, then proceeded to wave his nephew over to him.

"Alexandros, by boy," he exclaimed as if he was happy to see him.

"Uncle," Xander said short and sweet as he walked over to Victor and sat down in a chair next to him.

"It's good to see you doing so well," Xander offered a caring sentiment while faking the sincerity of it.

"I should say the same thing about you. I heard how you stepped up and helped Philip handle things around here, rather competently, since I've been temporarily indisposed. I'm proud of you, Alexandros."

"You are?" Xander said, not quite sure what to take of his uncle's sudden acceptance of him.

"Of course I am. You didn't abandon me or this company when we needed you most."

"Well, I wanted to help any way that I could. You know I'd do anything for you, Uncle," Xander's hidden anger momentarily ceased as his uncle shared his unexpected and strangely timed gratitude with him.

"You've finally proven that you're a Kiriakis, Alexandros."

"I've waited for a long time to hear you say that, Uncle Victor."

"You've earned it. But by the same token, let's not screw it up this time." Victor's sudden and blunt reminder of Xander's past mistakes redirected him back to the reason why he was there.

"Well, to be fair, the work I've done here, I haven't done it all alone," Xander offered an explanation, suddenly ready to confront Victor head on.

"I give credit where it's due, Alexandros. You should learn to take full credit of that, especially when I don't have a reason to offer it to you very often," Victor spouted in a more condescending way Xander was familiar with.

"Uncle, we need to discuss something," Xander said taking a deep breath in and out to prepare for the battle he anticipated would follow.

"And what do we need to talk about exactly?" Victor said, clutching his hands tightly as he leaned back in his wheelchair.

"We need to talk about" – Xander paused momentarily to allow Nicole's name to sit safely on the tip of his tongue before he let it roll off his lips – "Nicole."

Victor sat eerily quietly as his face grew dark and cold almost instantly with a scowling overtone.

"Alexandros, that subject is dead and buried and none of your damn concern."

"But it is my concern. I have been working with her here at Titan."

"Well, that situation is about to be satisfactorily rectified. Nicole Walker, the working-class slut, won't be working at Titan after today, I can promise you that."

"Don't talk about her like that, not in front of me," Xander's voice began to rise.

"Don't tell me you still carry a torch for that parasite. I thought after she wrote that tell-all expose about you you would have wised up. Where's your sense of pride? Grow some balls, boy."

"Uncle Victor, that was all a misunderstanding. Things are different now. You don't understand."

"I understand that everything that tramp does is calculating. You're a damn fool if you believe otherwise."

"I care about her," he blurted out honestly to him.

"Well, get over it," Victor demanded.

"Look, I know we're blood and I've always looked up to you, Uncle, but I can't let you throw her out of here like she's yesterday's garbage. She deserves better than that."

"What is it with the men in this town and that woman that make them gullible fools? That hussy sucks you poor saps in and then you keep going back for more of the same. She's been nothing but poison to Brady, Daniel, Eric, Lucas, EJ and every other man she's come into contact with. I should know, I married the bitch. I won't let that happen to you too, Alexandros. Take it from me, that gold-digging whore isn't worth all the time you'll waste on her. She'll just destroy your life and move onto the next idiot who has more to offer her than you do."

"I know about her complicated history, yes, but most of the shit that's happened to her stems from an abusive past. She isn't to blame for everything that's happened to her. Nicole has had a tough go at things and she's trying to turn her life around. Can't you just leave her alone?"

"Bullshit! She's a black widow and if you're not careful she'll shoot her venom into you, too. I should have killed that harlot years ago when I had the chance."

"SHUT UP!" Xander raged as he stood up from his chair, his veins protruding from his neck. "I will NOT allow you to speak such disrespectful things about her. You've crossed the line, Uncle."

"There you have it. Exhibit A: The moronic wide-eyed fool. I guess I was out of commission too long to prevent this from getting this far. She's already gotten her hooks into you. I will tell you this, Alexandros, she will not destroy another member of my family while I stand by and do nothing."

"There's nothing you can do about it. I'm a grown man and I will not allow you to dictate –"

"It's in your best interest not to finish that sentence, I assure you," Victor threatened. "Now sit your ass down," he demanded and Xander complied and let out a heavy breath as he did so.

"Uncle, can't you cast your personal feelings aside just this once? You've given me a chance to prove myself. Can't you do the same for her and just stay out of this? Have you seen what she's done since she's been here? She's helped keep this company afloat while you were lying in a bed incapacitated. That has to count for something, doesn't it? She knows how you feel about her, yet she has done everything to help this goddamn company succeed."

"This conversation is over, Alexandros."

"No, it is not over. I'm not done talking to you. You are going to listen to me," Xander commanded passionately.

"You'd do well not to tell me what to do," Victor warned him.

"So you're just going to take her job away from her and that's that; is that how you're going to play this?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm going to strip her of her goddamn title, give it to you, and then throw her out on her skinny little ass. Congratulations, you are now President of Publications. You should be thanking me."

"You're giving me her job?" Xander gasped with shock.

"It's already done," Victor grumbled.

"I don't FUCKING want it," Xander yelled at him emphasizing the profanity.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?" Victor raged as his facial expression was terrorizing enough to scare ten grown men. "Don't you disrespect me after all I've done for you, boy. I will not tolerate it. You will do as I say," he taunted as he leaned forward in his chair, showing he hadn't lost one ounce of his ability to browbeat and intimidate Xander even in his apparent fragile state.

"Uncle, please, I beg you, don't do this. I'll do anything you ask of me, please, whatever it is, but please don't take this away from her. She's tried so hard. Don't make this mistake just because you hate her. Think of the company."

"Think of the company? I'm the only one doing that here. Your dumb whipped ass is thinking between your legs like every stupid, unsuspecting man before you."

Xander's fists rolled into clinched balls under the table. He was seconds away from pummeling this old disabled man in his wheelchair. He took a deep breath in and out and held his anger as best as he could.

"Isn't there anything I can say to make you change your mind?" Xander begged for him to be reasonable.

Victor sat there with a sly, devilish look on his face pondering Xander's offer.

"Please, Uncle," he pleaded again.

Victor sat there weighing his other options and in a matter of seconds had an answer. "I will consider letting Nicole stay on here in her position on one condition."

"Name it," Xander responded without hesitation.

"You can go work at the overseas office for me. I've needed someone there for a while I could trust to head things over there and now I see you're capable of doing that."

"You want me to leave Salem?"

"That's my condition. Take it or leave it, but you better hurry. The board meeting is about to start in a few minutes."

"When do you expect me to leave?"

"You'd pack up and leave first thing tomorrow morning for Japan. I'll have the jet ready for you."

"I can't leave tomorrow!" Xander scoffed at the thought.

"XANDER, you're trying my patience. You're lucky I'm offering this to you at all. Having Nicole stay on here was not negotiable five minutes ago. See, I can be reasonable when the situation calls for it."

"But there's things I'd need to handle here first before I could just leave." _How do I explain to Nicole we'll need to have a long distance relationship when we just started seeing each other?_

"I'll make all the arrangements you need. You just have to pack."

"How do I know you won't make Nicole's life a living hell around here as soon as I'm gone?"

"You don't," Victor said smugly. But then again, I didn't really want to be here full time anyway. If I have you handling things for me overseas, I'll just leave Philip as CEO for the time being, and I'll liaison from home. That way I won't have to see that blonde tart every day."

"If I do this, you guarantee you won't fire her as soon as I leave?"

"As long as she does her job and Philip reports to me she's doing it well, I will leave it up to him whether he wants to keep her on board or not. God help him."

"I'll do it," he instantly agreed. "But I have to explain all of this to Nicole. We are working on a lot of projects together. I respectfully request an extra day here to say my goodbyes to her."

"No, that is one thing you won't do."

"What are you talking about? I can't leave her without an explanation. I told you I care about her. Whether you like it or not, that's not going to change. Just because I'm out of the country doesn't mean I can't fly back in to see her."

"That's exactly what it means," Victor said stone-cold.

"Are you saying you never want me to come back here?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"I can't do that," Xander shook his head in astonishment.

"Sure, you can. You can just tell her you've decided to make a fresh start or you got a better offer, either/or."

"Uncle, I won't do that."

"You will do that. You will have a clean break so that there's no chance in hell that she'll be here waiting for you to return if I prematurely kick the bucket. I'm not getting any younger. My stroke was an eye opener."

"Obviously, it didn't soften your sadistic mind," Xander said under his breath.

"I want her to hate you, just like I hate her," Victor spouted showing his hatred for Nicole knew no bounds.

Xander sat still in his chair unaware of how he was going to get out of this mess without looking like a total lying douche bag in Nicole's eyes.

"Don't look so sad. Judging from Nicole's past, she'll find her next victim within a week of you leaving town, give or take a week."

"You make it hard not to hate you, Uncle. I've wanted to be like you all of my life, but this is cruel, even for you."

Suddenly what Nicole said to him on the plane about everyone leaving her crushed him like a ton of bricks. He was about to break his promise to her and it would all be a lie.

"Tsk, tsk, Alexandros. You'll get over her like everyone else does. Everyone always ends up leaving her anyway. She's used goods."

"THAT'S ENOUGH! That's the last ill word I will allow you to speak of her, Uncle - the. last. fucking. word." He looked dead straight at his uncle without blinking, letting him know he could be as menacing and as intimidating as him. "I will knock your ass clear out of that chair without hesitating. Not one more word, do you hear me?" he repeated his threat.

(Victor began to clap slowly) "Wow, you almost sounded like me, Alexandros," Victor smirked as if he was proud he passed one of his traits onto him. "I'm impressed you're not a wimp and a failure like I thought you once were."

"What the hell has made you such a bitter old man?"

"I was born this way. No one made me. You need to grow up and get with the program. Women only exist to bring you down or go down on you."

"That's nonsensical ramblings from a petulant and spiteful man whose wife left him."

"Xander, you best hold your tongue before I throw you out on your ass, disown you, and leave you penniless. I'm still the one with the power, remember that."

"I don't care what you do to me. It doesn't matter anymore. It's Nicole I care about."

"Well, if you care about her, then this decision should be easy for you. You said she loves it here. Are you willing to take that from her for your own selfish reasons?"

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"This is your last chance, Alexandros. What's your decision?"

'I'll do it. Are you fucking happy?"

"I will be, knowing you and that" - he refrained from using the derogatory word he wanted to, heeding Xander's recent warning - "you and her will be thousands of miles apart," he grinned devilishly, feeling all kinds of proud of himself.

"You've destroyed my chance at real happiness and I'm about to prove to Nicole what she's always believed, that she can't take any man at their word because they're all lying bastards."

"Cry me a damn river. By the way, don't think of going to Nicole and saying anything other than hasta la vista baby, it's been nice knowing you. Because know this, I have people watching everywhere and I'll know if you defy me. And I'd hate to see any harm come to her for an ill-advised mistake you create. You know how accidents happen when you least expect them, right?"

"Are you fucking threatening Nicole in front of me right now? YOU ARROGANT PIECE OF SHIT!" Xander stood up from his chair ready to take a swing.

"Oh, look, Alexandros, the troops are gathering outside," Victor said as he looked through the window of the boardroom. "Oh, I see Nicole heading this way. Time is running out. What's it going to be – me humiliating her in front of everyone by taking her job and dignity or you taking me up on my offer? Tic toc, tic toc."

As the doors to the boardroom swung open, Xander promptly said, "I accept your offer, you sorry son of a bitch."

As Nicole walked into the room and saw Victor, she practically gasped where she stood. She knew this couldn't be good for her but she had nowhere to go now. She was in the room and the rest of the executives were piling in on top of her.

"Now that everyone is seated, I have a few announcements to make," Philip said standing up behind Victor unaware of what had just transpired.

"Actually, Philip, I have a few things I want to say first," Victor interrupted.

Philip looked confused but intrigued by his father's sudden decision to make an announcement.

"I'd like to say, first off, I'm glad to be back. I've heard many of you have been instrumental in helping to keep this company together; others, not so much," he glared at random people around the room, "and that will be unfortunate for you once we weed out the incompetent, but that's not on the agenda today so you can all close your mouths for now. You'll live to fail miserably another day."

" _What a dickhead. Even a stroke can't cure that ailment_ ," Nicole said to herself while shaking her head at the other end of the table.

"Anyway, I had a talk with my son, Philip, about me maybe returning to the CEO position here at Titan, but I've decided against that."

"You what?" Phillip remarked loudly as he glanced over at Xander wondering what the hell did he say to his father to get him to change his mind so quickly.

"I've decided with my health not fully back to where it should be, it would be in the best interest of this company to leave Philip as CEO and President. I'd still have a hand in the company, but I'll just work from home and come in only as I'm needed. Philip is fully capable of running things and I trust in his judgment and capabilities to do just that.

"Thank you, Father," Philip said as he placed his hand on Victor's shoulder. "That means a lot coming from you."

"Speaking of judgment calls, it's been brought to my attention that my son hired Nicole Walker to run the Publishing side of things."

"Here we go, I'm getting fired," Nicole said quietly as she put her head down completely unaware of what was about to happen.

"Nicole, I don't much like you. Actually, I can honestly say I despise you and I don't trust you, but that's no real secret."

"Thanks, Vic," Nicole mumbled in her seat from afar. " _The feelings mutual,"_ her inner self blurted out as loud as it could.

"But business is business. And according to Philip and others, you have been a real asset to Titan the short time you've been here. I want to congratulate you on your position here and I hope to hear only good things from Philip about you in the future."

"Huh? You're not firing me?" _Well, slap my ass and send me to bed with no supper. What just happened?_

"Not today. So don't blow it like you always do. I'll be keeping tabs on you regularly."

"Understood," Nicole said flabbergasted.

"Just keep up the good work," Victor uttered while silently throwing up in his mouth.

Nicole's jaw hit the floor as she heard Victor's words. Yes, he threw some backhanded compliments in there, but it was Victor for God's sake. Those were the nicest words he ever said to her. Usually bitch or home-wrecking slut were included at the end of every sentence that involved her.

"I'll do my very best," Nicole said still reeling from the moment.

The other employees in the room gave her a round of applause as she sat there giddy and proud of herself but fully taken aback.

Xander couldn't stop staring at Nicole. He was sitting in the middle of the long table looking diagonally across at her where she was sitting down near the other end. She was beaming inside and out as she was swiveling in her chair and whispering to the person next to her with the biggest smile on her face. A few other people began to high-five her on a job well done, and she was taking it all in. She was so happy and he knew he made that possible for her, but yet she would never get to know that. All he knew was she was never going to look at him the same again. In a matter of seconds, she was going to hate him. He just hoped one day she could forgive him for what was about to happen. After all, it's not like she had fallen in love with him or anything yet, so she could easily move past this with a minimum of regrets, right? The only problem was, at that very moment, looking at her from across the table, memorizing the curves of her face and the infectious smile attached to it, he realized he had already fallen in love with her.

"Now, I have another announcement," Victor interrupted Nicole's mini celebration to bring on Xander's worst nightmare.

"As you know, my Nephew Alexandros has been working here in my absence also. He's done a remarkable job here. But seeing I can't travel as I used to, he's agreed to run things for me in our overseas office. So I want everyone to congratulate him. He'll be the new CEO at the Japan office."

A round of applause filled the room but Xander sat silent, his heart beating out of his chest.

"Wow, when was this all decided?" Nicole interrupted the applause, not understanding the timing or the meaning of all of this.

"Oh, I called Xander in New York yesterday while you were on the photo shoot and told him the good news," Victor lied, sticking the knife deeper into Xander's back and breaking Nicole's fragile heart almost instantly.

 _At the photo shoot? Wait, what? So before the spa? Before the Broadway play? Before the penthouse? BEFORE WE.. Oh, my God, I'm going to be sick._

As the room again erupted in applause for Xander, he hadn't yet mustered up the courage to glance over at Nicole to gauge her reaction to Victor's latest announcement. He wanted to avoid seeing that for as long as he possibly could. When the clapping died down, he hesitantly looked in her direction, praying to God it wasn't as bad as he expected it to be. But when his eyes eventually met with hers, he almost broke down inside at the haunting expression she had on her face. It was mixed with confusion, disappointment, hurt, and anger, all rolled up into one horrible nightmarish image he never ever again wanted to see on her face staring back at him.

"Well, meeting adjourned. If you have any other issues, just let my son know. He's in charge now," Victor said looking at Philip.

Philip started to roll Victor out of the room and other people started slowly dispersing as well. Xander was hoping for a moment alone with Nicole, even though he had no idea what he would say to her to explain the sudden change of plans and him up and leaving her, but he had to say something to soften the blow without Victor taking it as defiance. As he stood up, waiting for the last few people to leave, Nicole suddenly got up, turned away from Xander and began to walk out.

"Nicole, can I have a word with you, please?" he said with desperation as she stopped and glared at him.

"Xander," Victor called out from the door. "I need you now. There's a lot of things to do before you can leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Nicole said as she looked desperately at Xander with a bewildered and defeated look on her face.

Xander closed his eyes immediately throwing his head down, feeling the sting of what Victor just said loud enough for Nicole to hear and realizing the weight of what this was doing to her. He had just promised her he wasn't THAT GUY. How is this happening to them now? He reluctantly looked back up at her, dreading the moment he knew he was about to have with her, fearing that horrid look on her face screaming and defining clearly how he failed her miserably just like everyone else before him.

When he forced his head back up and turned his watery eyes back toward her, he took a deep breath in trying to catch his breath, but then his heart sunk all the way into his chest as she mouthed silently, "Liar."

"Xander, let's go," Victor yelled out, interrupting them long enough for Nicole to turn and run out the door holding back tears.


	12. Xander Kiriakis

(Nicole's apartment building.)

"Nicole, please open the door," Xander pleaded. "I'm sorry, you had to find out I was leaving this way. I didn't plan this, if that's what you think."

(No response.)

"Come on, don't make me knock on your door all night, because I will," he said very adamantly.

(No response.)

"Won't you at least let me say good-bye to you?" he implored her.

Xander stood with his body hunched over, hands on his knees, defeated and desperate outside of Nicole's door. He had no clear idea on what he would say to her if she ever did open the door. Victor had made it abundantly clear that a goodbye, a see you later or a nice knowing you was all he was allowed to convey to her. With that in mind, he had to do this face to face to at least salvage something of what they shared, and he knew he had to see her just one more time before he left or he wouldn't be able to go through with this God awful horseshit deal he had made with the devil a/k/a his uncle. He wasn't going to let Victor get away with this, but for now he had no choice but to let her go until he could regroup and find a way out of this mess that didn't threaten the woman he loved.

"Nicole, don't you even want to yell at me or tell me I'm a lying piece of shit?" he asked, offering her some legitimate reasons to open the door.

"I'm going to call the cops if you don't leave right now," Nicole suddenly yelled loudly through the door.

"I knew you were there," he breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you gonna let me in? You can hit me, slap me, throw a drink in my face if you want. Just. Please. Open. The. Door."

Nicole laid her head gently against her apartment door conflicted, hurt, and confused. She had one hand on her phone and the other on the doorknob trying to decide her course of action. _Why_ _are you doing this, Xander? I trusted you, you jerk._

"Will you stop pounding on that lady's door. People are trying to sleep around here." A stranger's voice called out from down the hall. "Have a little respect for the other people in this building." Out of the shadows, a short, skinny man in a dirty white t-shirt and jeans appeared, cigarette in mouth and holding a Budweiser beer in his hand.

"Mind your own business," Xander said clearly, staring the man down.

"I'm gonna call the dadgum police if you keep this up, Mister," the man said nervously as he began to back up after detecting Xander's mood and his size.

"Fuck off. This is none of your goddamn business. Get the hell back in your apartment," Xander scowled with anger at the stranger butting into his business.

Nicole heard the sound of feet scurrying quickly, a door opening and then slamming down the hall.

"Stop scaring my neighbors, you big bully," Nicole screamed through the door.

"Nicole, that guy is probably calling the cops on me right now, so if you want to see me hauled off to jail, so be it. I'm not leaving until you at least talk to me!" he yelled out. "Two minutes is all I ask, I swear to you," he said in a calmer tone. "Can you give me at least that?"

Xander threw his hands up on either side of her door, holding onto the frame as he leaned in and let his head rest against the door with his eyes closed. He abruptly started to strike his head against the solid wood door very slowly, but with each blow, he began to pound his head harder and faster against it until eventually the door cracked open a few inches.

"Hey," he said softly, inhaling and exhaling in exhausted relief as she peeked out at him through the small opening.

Nicole stood there stone-faced and quiet, but judging from the puffiness under her eyes, he could tell she'd been recently crying.

"You've got two minutes and then I'm slamming this door in your face, you got it?" she told him as she opened the door wider and then blocked the doorway with her arm to show him he wasn't to set foot into her apartment.

"Okay, if it's got to happen in the hallway, it's got to happen in the hallway," he said exasperated and out of breath as he stood there before her suddenly at a loss for words and completely losing his train of thought with her standing there staring at him like she was.

"You look...good," he stumbled over his speech. "Not that you don't always – I mean, you always look beautiful," he said still tongue-tied and breathless because he had no clue what he was going to say to her to make this better.

"I look good? Seriously? That's what you came here to say?" Nicole frowned as she shot him an eat shit and die look.

"I'm sorry. I'm a little anxious here. Forgive me," he said as he let out a deep breath trying to refocus.

"Forgive you for what exactly?" she shot back.

"I need you to know that I didn't have any idea about this job in Japan before we went to New York." _Truth._ When I got the call from Victor at the photo shoot, we only discussed it briefly." _Never happened. Lie._ I never planned on leaving Salem. _" Truth. Well, at least the truths outweigh the lies so far._

"Well, you sure as hell accepted the job in record time, didn't you?" she fired back.

"That couldn't be helped. It was a take it now or leave it kind of offer from my uncle," he tried to explain to her.

"And so you thought you'd just take me to bed before you left town; is that it?" she asked very directly.

"Nicole, I know this looks bad, but I want you to know everything that happened between us the last two days -"

Xander paused and began to tread lightly not knowing what Uncle Vic would do if he knew he even came by Nicole's apartment to say goodbye to her. He had made it perfectly clear that he had eyes everywhere and his paranoia began to get the best of him. _Was the neighbor really a spy?_

"Are you going to finish that sentence or can you not think of a lie fast enough to tell me?" Nicole said impatiently.

"I know this is bad timing since we just got something started. I feel terrible. I just don't know how to put this into words without it sounding like I'm being a selfish prick." _Or without fucking lying._ He shook his head and bit his tongue because he had no way to fully explain his leaving to her without more lies that he didn't want to tell.

"I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at myself for believing every word you said. I should have known better than that. I guess I should be flattered that I'm the girl everyone wants to sleep with. I'm just not the girl anyone wants to stay with. That's always been my biggest flaw."

 _You have no flaws, not a one. My God, look at you_. _The fact that I'm_ _not busting in this door and kissing every fucking gorgeous inch of you right now and telling you how I feel about you is my biggest flaw._

"Nicole, that couldn't be further" – he stopped himself before saying something that he truly meant but couldn't divulge under the circumstances. "I really thought we'd have more time together, but it's not going to work out that way. I had no idea that my uncle would recover, let alone ask me to run the company overseas. You know that he's always treated me like an outsider. We've had a strained relationship most of my life. But now for some reason he's trusting me to do this for him, for the company, and I have to at least try."

Nicole stood there unmoved and unimpressed.

"He's depending on me, Nicole. I can't turn this opportunity down when he's personally asked me to do it."

"Then don't. I'm not stopping you."

"But you are upset with me."

"I'm over it."

"No, you're not over it. I can see it in your eyes."

"Well, I will get over it. I always do. It always stings a little at first."

"Nicole, I never meant to hurt you. That wasn't even a consideration. I've truly loved every minute we've spent together and -"

"Excuse me" she interrupted, "but who said that I'm hurt?"

"Nicole, come on."

"You don't know me as well as you think you do, Xander, so do me a favor and don't pretend that you do. So we spent a weekend together, so what? It's not the end of the world."

"Why are you being so cold right now?" he asked, looking into her eyes as he tried to understand her chilly demeanor.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe I'm mad at myself for taking what you said so seriously and being taken in my a good-looking, smooth bad boy like yourself. I should have known better than to believe those lines you were feeding me."

"They weren't lines."

"No, no, I get it. You said all the right things to get me to want to sleep with you, I fell for it, and then the first chance at an out, it's good-bye Nicole."

"It's not like that at all, sweetheart." The word of endearment slipped out before he was able to take it back.

"Don't you dare call me sweetheart. You don't get to call me that anymore," she said making it very clear.

"Nicole, I didn't use you. It's just bad timing is all. I promise you it's not as cut and dry as you make it out to be," he tried to explain.

"THE FUCK IT'S NOT!" she yelled out in anger. "You're just like all the others."

"No, I'm not. You know I'm not."

"I know no such thing. I got to hand it to you, you were good. You sure had me fooled into thinking you really cared about me."

"I do care about you, that wasn't a lie. I meant those things when I said them."

"What the hell does that mean? So today's a new day, so it doesn't count for shit?"

"You're twisting my words, Nicole."

"Just go away, okay? It's over," she said matter of factly.

Those words stung. Xander held his head down fighting the urge to tell her the truth. Then took a deep breath and got himself together.

"I'll miss" – he paused, picking his words carefully – "I'll miss working with you and the time we spent getting to know each other, I really mean that whether you believe me or not."

Nicole rolled her eyes as she listened to what she felt were meaningless words coming from another guy who was walking out on her.

"Can you hurry this up? _**How to Get Away With Murder** _ is on," she said with a devious smirk.

"I really never intended for things to end this way," he offered more vague reasoning.

"If I had a dollar for every time a man told me he never intended to hurt me, blah, blah, blah, while doing just that, I'd be rich. I'll always be the one men walk out on."

Xander took a step toward the open doorway and took a deep breath in and out, biting his lower lip hard and screaming inside with anger. It took every ounce of strength in him not to go through that door, put his hands on her, and tell her how wrong she was, and that he was completely and undeniably in love with her; that seeing her this way was gutting him inside and out; that this was all part of a sick arrangement with Victor; and that he did it for her.

He thought right then maybe he should tell her everything and let the chips fall where they may. Nicole would lose the job she loved, be humiliated, but maybe they could still be together. If it was only that, he thought, but Victor made it loud and clear what had to happen and he was hell bent on keeping them apart, going so far as threatening Nicole's life if Xander defied him. He had firsthand experience that his uncle didn't throw around idle threats; he made good on each and every one of them. Victor had the means, money, and connections to set up any kind of 'accident.' He had random thugs, henchman and cops on speed dial that could do bodily harm to her without leaving a trace of evidence. Xander knew he couldn't risk it. He had to go through with this until he could figure a way out of it that didn't involve Nicole's life being endangered.

"Ahem," she interrupted his silent argument with himself. "Don't you have some packing to do?" Nicole suggested strongly.

"It can wait," he said not wanting to leave just yet.

"There's nothing left to say, Xander."

 _There is so much to say, Nicole. Goddamn it, I hate this._

"Can you just go, please?" she implored him.

He knew right then he couldn't make this better and finally conceded. "Good-bye, Nicole."

"Yeah, whatever," she tried closing the door and he stopped it easily with his hand.

"I am sorry for coming here and making things worse. I guess it's better I'm leaving town now before this got too serious and one of us -"

"Before one of us what, fell in love?" she interjected. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Wait," he yelled out as the door slammed closed in his face.

Xander screamed in silence. _Fuck you, Uncle. I'll find a way back to Nicole, I promise you that, even if I have to kill you myself._

Meanwhile, Nicole burst into tears on the other side of the door. "Damn you, Xander!" she cried out as she threw a vase full of flowers across the door she just slammed.

"I hate you for making me fall for you," she yelled out, as she fell onto the couch and cradled up into a ball crying.

* * *

(Six weeks later in Japan)

Xander sat behind his desk, drink in hand, staring out the window into the distance at the Tokyo Tower. It was high noon and the blazing sun was beaming down penetrating rays of bright light onto his emotionless face as he closed his eyes to feel the warmth of it settling on his face.

"Mr. Kiriakis?" a voice rang out over the speakerphone.

"I said to hold my calls, Marjorie," Xander scolded her as he pressed the intercom button and then released it.

"Yes, sir, but you have a visitor."

"Holding my calls also means holding my visitors, Marjorie," he barked loudly at her.

"Sorry, sir. I'll let her know this is not a good time."

"Her?" he said as his curiosity piqued rather suddenly.

"Yes, sir. There is a Ms. Walker here to see you."

"Did you say Ms. Walker?"

"Yes, sir. Nicole Walker is here to see you, but she doesn't have an appointment," Marjorie emphasized. "But she claims it's urgent, sir. I can send her away if you wish."

"No!" he yelled out vigorously. "I mean, no. that's not necessary," he said calmer, changing to a more appropriate tone of voice. "Give me a minute and then send her in. Oh, and cancel my 1:00."

Xander stood up, threw on his coat jacket, straightened his tie and sat back down. He picked up his phone, leaned back in his chair, and pretended like he was having an important conversation.

Nicole strutted in wearing a white knee-length Burberry double-breasted trench coat and a pair of Jimmy Choo black patent leather pointy toe pumps. She stood in the doorway as Xander immediately put down the receiver and smiled widely at what he was seeing. Her bold red lipstick against her pale skin made her blue eyes pop with magnificent color and he stood there speechless with anticipation. He could sense there was something different about her, but he couldn't put his finger on it because his finger wasn't doing the thinking right then.

"Well, hello, Mr. Kiriakis. I see you've claimed the family name," Nicole said as she ran her fingers slowly along the letters on the name plate hanging on the door which spelled out K-I-R-I-A-K-I-S.

"Nicole, what an unexpected but pleasant surprise."

"I like to think so," she said as she sauntered into the room and leisurely began to approach Xander.

"I just thought with the way we left things, you never wanted to see me again."

"You know, 'never' is such an ugly word, don't you think?" she replied as she made her way around Xander's desk and then sat down on top of it directly in front of him.

"Besides, it's a girl's prerogative to change her mind, isn't it?" she said with a flirtatious grin and then proceeded to cross her right leg over her left thigh, resulting in her coat opening up at the knees revealing her bare legs underneath, which didn't go unnoticed by Xander.

"Yes, of course it is," he responded still focused on her smooth, long legs that were staring him in the face causing him to be at a shortage for words.

"It's, um, good to see you. You look fantastic," he complimented.

"I know," she compressed her mouth in a self-satisfied smirk. "I'm been thinking a lot about you, Xander."

(Clears his throat) "You have?"

"Uh-huh," she responded.

"What – what about?" Xander sat up straight in his chair eager to hear the answer.

"We have some unfinished business," she replied while looking at him steadily and with intent.

"Nicole, I hated leaving things like we did. I've thought about you every day -"

Suddenly Nicole stood up from the edge of the desk and then casually reached down to grab the belt from her coat and began to untie the knot.

"- and every night," he let tumble out of his mouth as his attention was abruptly focused on Nicole's little strip tease happening in front of him.

"Is it hot in here?" Nicole asked as she successfully untied the knot and pulled open her coat to reveal she only had on black panties and a black lace bra underneath her well-toned body.

Xander swallowed hard as his mouth dropped open. _Holy fuck._

"Or is it just me?" she said seductively to him as she stood in front of him with one hand on her hip while he looked at her with bated breath.

"Well, judging by what I'm seeing, it's definitely hot, very, very hot," he gawked at her almost naked body as he began to loosen his tie, keeping his eyes glued to her as he ran them down every inch of her body that was on display.

"You've – you've got no clothes on under that coat, Nicole," he stuttered, still savoring his good fortune. "Not that I'm complaining..."

"I'm glad you noticed. Do you like?" she said, biting down on her lip and holding her coat open for him to enjoy the view.

"I'd like you to come closer is what I'd like," he told her, now fully aroused.

She took a step toward him in the chair and then playfully threw her left leg up over his lower body and then sat right down in his lap, straddling him.

"Let me help you get that tie off," she purred, taking over where he didn't succeed.

"Does this mean you forgive me for leaving like I did?" he asked as he slipped his hands on either side of her hips and gripped them tightly.

"Shhh," she blew in his ear, then slid her body up as far as it would go in his lap. "Do you really have to ask?" she whispered.

"Then you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked eagerly.

"That depends...have you been a bad boy?" she teased as she pressed her chest up against his.

"No..." he hesitated not sure if that was the response she was looking for.

"Wrong answer," she said as she kissed the side of his mouth, then proceeded to trace his lips slowly with her tongue.

"Yes, I've been a very bad boy," he said breathlessly, moving his hands from her hips, inside her open jacket, and then placing his hands on her waist.

"Punish me, Nicole," he said with a desirous whisper.

"That can be arranged." She suddenly slid her tongue into his already open mouth and kissed him long enough to feel he was sufficiently aroused and then stopped leaving him panting heavily for more.

"Did you miss me?" she inquired as she continued to tempt him by grinding up against him while kissing his neck with untamed desire.

"More than you know, Nicole," he answered her, moving his hands along her body as they saw fit and pressing his hard-on against her panties.

"You want me bad, don't you?" she teased, pressing her hungry lips gainst his as he passionately rolled his tongue along with hers, devouring every inch of her mouth.

"Mmm, I guess you did miss me," she said pleased.

"What has gotten into you?" he said as he welcomed every bit of her seduction.

"Nothing...yet," she egged him on.

"Come the fuck here, Nicole," he yelled out breathlessly trying to pull her into another kiss and more. "I want your mouth," he demanded as he took hold of her coat and tried to pull it off of her shoulders.

"Let me do it," she said with a devious smirk while looking at him intensely. She pulled her coat off of her shoulders and down her arms, leaving it sitting around her waist. She then threw her hands behind her back and unclasped her bra and slowly slid it down both shoulders in a very alluring manner, enticing Xander the whole time.

"Is that all you want, my mouth?" she said with a scheming grin.

"Take off your panties, Nicole," he demanded.

"Why? Do you want to fuck me in this chair?" she asked directly.

"That's exactly what I wanna do," he replied as he grabbed her breasts in his hands and pressed his cock up against her, which was steadily growing harder by the second inside of his pants. "I want to fuck you so bad right now," he called out passionately as he began to kiss her breasts as he held them.

"Oh, my, you are a very bad boy, Mr. Kiriakis," she whispered in his ear and then bit down hard on it. "But that's not why I'm here."

Without any warning, Nicole reached down into the pocket of her trench coat still lying around her waist and pulled out a serrated knife and viciously and brutally drove it through Xander's beating heart, crushing it instantly with the blade.

"W – Why?" he cried out in mortal agony.

"Oh, it's simple, Sweetheart. You take my heart, I take yours. Rest in hell, Mr. Kiriakis..."

* * *

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

WHAT?

* * *

"Mr. Kiriakis? Mr. Kiriakis? Can you hear me?"

Xander found himself still sitting in his chair behind his desk facing the window and clutching his chest tightly when he noticed his assistant standing there.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," he sat up, straightened his tie, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What is it, Marjorie?"

"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but you have a visitor."

"What? Who?" he said feeling the déjà vu. "It's not a woman, is it?"

"No, sir."

"Thank God," he said under his breath, not ready to be killed by the woman he loves again so vividly and graphically.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Philip Kiriakis."

"Philip? What is he doing here? I wasn't expecting him until next week."

"He said it was urgent."

"Okay, give me a few minutes and then send him in."

As Xander stood behind his desk, he hurriedly slid the empty glass smelling of whiskey into his desk drawer. He grabbed the bottle that had been a fixture on his desk and put it back on the shelf where it hadn't been in days. He threw on his coat jacket, which was hanging wrinkled on the back of his chair, the same chair that he hadn't so much as removed himself from in weeks except to get a bottle of liquor off the shelf or to get up to use the facilities. He managed to get all of his work done from his desk for the past month with no one noticing. And beyond that, the rest of his time had been spent concocting plans and conspiring of ways to get rid of his uncle for making him lose the woman he loved just because Victor chose to single her out.

"Xander," Philip said as he walked into his office.

"Philip, I wasn't expecting you for another week. What brings you here?" he asked as he greeted him with a handshake.

"It seems I'm always delivering bad news to you," Philip said shaking his head.

"What sort of bad news is it this time?" Xander inquired.

"I thought I should tell you this in person right away so I took an earlier flight than expected."

"Okay..." Xander waited impatiently.

"Two days ago my father had another stroke, but this time much, much worse."

Xander's jaw dropped to the floor. His outer reaction was that of utter surprise and regret but his inner reaction was screaming with a sense of satisfaction.

"Oh, my God, how is he?" he asked, playing the part of the concerned nephew rather well.

"Not good at all. They're not hopeful he'll ever regain consciousness. He was deprived of oxygen for far too long before the cook found him on the floor barely breathing. He's in a vegetative state, unable to speak or move. The only thing keeping him alive is the ventilator he's hooked up to."

"I'm sorry, Philip."

"Well, he was your uncle, Xander. Even though you all had your problems, I thought you would want to know."

"Yes, we've had our differences, but I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy." _But I wished it on that son of a bitch for costing me Nicole._

"I talked with the lawyers and due to his incapacitated state and his dire prognosis, I'll be legally named President of Titan, so in the event a miracle of epic proportions happens, we will have options."

"Smart move considering what happened the last time, " Xander replied.

"Well, that brings me to the other reason I'm here. I came here to ask you to come back to Titan and to offer you a seat on the Board, if you want it."

"Wow, that's quite the offer," Xander said completely taken aback.

"If you're happy here, that's fine, stay, but you and I both know that's not the case," Philip said offering his unsolicited opinion.

"I'll admit there's nothing more I want to do than come back to Salem, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be welcomed there," he said thinking of the one person who may not be so receptive to him returning.

"Well, your old job is yours if you still want it. I actually could use you because I'm going to be handling a lot of father's affairs and medical decisions for the next couple of weeks. So think about it and let me know your decision as soon as you can, okay?"

"Certainly," Xander agreed.

"All right, I'll get out of your hair. Just call me in a day or two and tell me where your head is at. You should run the pros and cons, but I bet I can think of one pro on that list already, a very tall snarky blonde," Philip cunningly let slip out as he turned to walk out the door.

"How is she?" Xander called out not being able to hold in the question he'd been dying to ask since the minute Philip walked into his office.

Philip turned back around and smirked slightly. "I was wondering when you were going to bring her up. She's doing well. I got to hand it to you, though, as soon as you left, she threw herself into her work with more determination and dedication than she had before, and that's saying a lot considering what a hard worker she already was, and it's amazing what she's capable of when she puts her mind to it. We certainly are lucky to have her."

"I never doubted that for a second. I'm happy she's thriving. That's what's important," Xander said as he grew quiet while getting lost in thoughts of Nicole.

"Look, Xander, I know you care about her," Philip responded to Xander's sudden silence.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, playing all nonchalant.

"Oh, come on, I know what you gave up. Father told me."

"He TOLD you?" Xander blurted out with obvious agitation.

"Well, I knew something happened. That was obvious. When you left my office that day, Nicole was out, I was demoted, and my father was in. The next thing you know, she's not fired, you're leaving town, and I'm back as CEO slash President. I knew some bait and switch had occurred. I just had no idea exactly what transpired, but knowing my father, I knew there had to be an ultimatum in there somewhere. So I went to my father and demanded that he fill in the blanks if he wanted me to step back into CEO just like that. So he proceeded to tell me that he was hell bent on firing Nicole and giving you her job and he told you as such, but then you proceeded to tell him to shove it. That takes a lot of balls, by the way. And when that didn't go over too well, he offered to let her stay on if you took the job at Titan overseas. The thing I couldn't figure out is why you cared so much about Nicole losing her job. I mean, I knew you didn't think it was fair for her to be ousted and that's admirable and I knew y'all had a complicated past, but to just jet off to Japan in a moment's notice so that she could stay on at Titan, now that's something much, much more."

"I couldn't let that happened to her, Philip, despite what feelings I may or may not have for her."

"Well, we both know that if you had no feelings for her, you would have had no problem letting him show her the door. I mean, business is business, right?"

"It's not about my feelings," Xander said not wanting to reveal too much. "It's about fair play. I know I'm not some upstanding citizen judging by the things I've done, but I'm also not a cold motherfucker who would do that to someone who didn't deserve it. I couldn't take away something she had worked so hard to earn. She loved that job – she loves that job and she's good at it."

"Keep telling yourself that, man, and let me know if it sticks," Philip said bluntly.

Xander stood still and then looked down to the floor trying to hide his true feelings from Philip.

"Look, it's none of my business, but I never wanted to see her go. I just didn't have much choice in the matter at the time. I just think what you did for her was very admirable, feelings or no feelings."

"Well, he didn't give me much choice in the matter."

"Well, you know my father, he has no guilt for the things he does. He's straightforward and direct with destroying people's lives. He had Maggie fooled for awhile, but she eventually figured him out and ran as far away as she could."

"He can really be a rotten no-good heartless bastard and I don't know how I ever thought I could please a heartless man," Xander explained angrily.

"Yes, but he will be heartless right to your face as much as he will behind your back, even to his own flesh and blood. You got to give him points for being a smug blunt unedited son of a bitch."

"I suppose that's true." Xander and Philip had a moment of respect for the Great Victor Kiriakis for their common understanding of the kind of ruthless man he really was.

"So why didn't you just tell Nicole you'd be back for her? I'm sure she would have understood considering the circumstances."

"Oh, if I had my choice, I would have flown back in on the weekends. I was planning on telling her everything, but Victor had other ideas. He had the nerve to threaten her in front of me."

"Threaten her how? My father didn't fill me in on that little detail," Philip replied.

"Of course he didn't. He insinuated, strongly, that accidents happen and it would be in my best interest to make a clean break and end things completely. So, of course. at the time I had no recourse but to do as he asked."

"I'm sorry, Xander," Philip offered his apology. "I didn't know."

"It's not your fault, but I have to admit, I don't feel sorry for the bastard. I apologize if that offends you, Philip, since he is your father, but he's always treated me like a worthless outsider in my own family, always giving me his dirty work to do and never appreciating the chances I took with my own freedom for him, no questions asked. He gave more consideration to nobodies like Daniel fucking Jonas. But I'm used to to it. I can take care of myself. But I couldn't risk Nicole's life with me not being there so I've kept away from her completely."

"I figured there was more to this story. I'm sorry, man. But I take no offense for those who hate my father. Hell why do you think I stayed away from Salem so long? My father and I were never that close. I spent years trying to be the son he wanted me to be but being a son of Victor Kiriakis is not an easy thing to do. Every mistake you make is a failure and he was sure to remind you of every one."

"Tell me about it," Xander chimed in, shaking his head back and forth.

"I'm resigned to the fact that my father won't be around much longer. In fact, I think his passing is long overdue. He's lasted longer than I ever imagined he would. I figured he would have been shot and killed by now by one of his many sworn enemies. But all insults aside, I do feel sorry for any pain he may be in."

"Not me. I want him to suffer," Xander said offering no apologies.

"I understand how you feel knowing what he did. But, come on, you can't fix things here, can you?" Philip offered some friendly advice.

"No, I guess I can't," Xander agreed.

"So why don't you get your affairs together here as soon as you can and come back in about, say, a week. Does that give you enough time?"

"Okay, okay, you're right, I can't fix anything here. But do me a favor, don't tell Nicole I'm coming back. I don't want to give her a heads up so she can work up more anger against me before I get there. I'd rather just show up and try to explain everything to her at one time if I can."

"She'll understand. She knows how ruthless my father can be and how he works. Just be honest with her about everything, including how you feel about her."

"I will, if she doesn't blow my head off first," he said with a clever smile. "Or stab me through the heart," Xander said thinking back to his wet dream/nightmare.

Philip held out his hand and Xander shook it.

"I'll make sure your old apartment is ready for you. I noticed you never leased it after you left," Philip reminded him.

"I guess I was hoping I'd find a way back eventually," Xander responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, now you have," Philip said as he held onto the side of Xander's right arm briefly and then let go.

"I'll see you in two or three days," Xander spoke up.

"Two or three days? Wow, that's fast to get your affairs in order. Do you need help packing up your stuff? I can get a few guys for you?" Philip offered his help.

"No need. I never unpacked."


	13. Small Miracles

(Salem, Monday, November 16th)

"Daniel, I already told you I don't want to talk about it!" Nicole squawked.

"Nic, come on. If not me, then you've got to talk to someone," Daniel persisted to Nicole's dismay.

"Look, it's none of your concern and I wish you hadn't gotten yourself involved by eavesdropping on a very personal conversation."

"Just don't do anything rash, babe, until you've talked to someone. Marlena, anyone," he suggested.

"(A), Don't call me babe; (b), Don't tell me what the fuck to do. I got enough of that from when we sorta-kinda-not really-dated-but-somehow-you-still-thought-you-owned-me bullshit; and (c), Marlena? Ew, no thank you. I won't talk to Eric's mama about my personal business. Are you kidding me right now?"

"You know I still care about you, Nic," Daniel admitted. "I never stopped," he said practically panting like a dog in heat.

"Again, ew. You were never this concerned about my well-being when we were hooking up except to try to control me at every turn, so do me a favor and don't try to start now," she scolded him.

"I just don't want you to make a mistake you can't take back," he lectured.

"Please, I've made plenty of mistakes that still have lingering long-term effects, apparently going out with you is going to move to the top of my list. Leave me the hell alone and keep your mouth shut about this. Seriously, Daniel, do you not know what the word 'buzz off' means?" she said very annoyed. "Never mind, don't answer that. Of course you don't."

"I didn't know you were still this hostile toward me. I'm sorry I hurt you so much," he apologized.

(Laughing obnoxiously) "Hurt me? You? Please. You did me a favor when you accused me of sleeping with Xander. You made me realize what a jackass you really are."

"At least I'm not a convicted felon like he was," he threw out the insult with a glorified smirk.

"I'd take that convicted felon over you any day, you stalker."

"Well, that convicted felon isn't around, is he? I'm the one here for you," Daniel responded feeling pleased with himself.

Nicole felt the sting of that little dig knowing the present predicament she was in, but she decided Xander was not a topic she was going to discuss any further with a hotheaded idiot like Daniel. Xander was off limits. She may have still been pissed at him, but she wasn't going to sit there and listen to a moron like Daniel insult him. Hell no.

"Look, former member of the Village People, stay out of my goddamn business and, for the record, I know it's you who's been calling my house late at night breathing heavy and hanging up. Hello, you can call from random phones all you want, but University Hospital on the Caller ID narrows my stalkers to one. So just stop it before I get a restraining order. Are we clear?" she said in a very candid manner.

"I just wanna talk to you, Nicole. I wanna be there for you," he said as he began to encroach on her personal space.

"Look, I don't need your help and I didn't ask for it, so please leave me alone," she said trying to make it as clear as possible.

"I just know what this means to you, what it's always meant to you."

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO BUTT OUT! THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY BODY!" she yelled loudly, suddenly going off on Daniel because her raging hormones couldn't take it anymore. "I'll do what feels right for me, and I swear to God, Daniel, if you tell ANYONE that I'm -" she stopped herself, taking a deep breath in and out. "Never mind. Just stay the hell out of my life," she threatened as she walked away from Daniel completely unnerved and frustrated.

* * *

(The next morning, Tuesday, November 17th)

Nicole woke up with her head in the toilet and the room spinning at a steady, nauseating pace. It was just one day after the home pregnancy test(s) turned blue. She was still in shock, partly happy, partly sad, mostly terrified. Another miracle child conceived out of wedlock with a guy who wasn't around, and judging from her track record and her body's refusal to let her bear a child, the probability of her miscarrying was in the more likely than not excruciating category. She'd tossed and turned all night as her wandering mind wrestled with her beating, torn heart on whether or not she could go through this agony again, especially if the doctors told her her chances of delivering were slim to none, which is what she feared the most. She didn't want to be told once again that it was inevitable that she'd lose her precious miracle. It was hard enough dealing with the pain of losing her other two babies, something she'd never fully gotten over, but to think of going through that a third time was almost unfathomable to wrap her head around.

She just wanted a baby of her own to love. If she thought for one second she could carry this baby to term and that she could deliver a healthy baby with no major health complications, she would do everything in her power to make that happen. Even if she had no one to lean on, no baby daddy in the picture to support her and help her through it, she knew if she could just make it the whole nine months, alone or not, she would love this baby enough for two parents. Nicole knew she had only a limited time to think about the difficult decisions she'd be faced with in the near future, but right now her mind was working overtime on the present. She was around six weeks along, calculating it from the last time she had sex; namely, on an airplane with Xander, without protection, 30,000 feet in the air. She just needed her doctor to confirm what the home pregnancy tests already revealed, all five of them, which was she was definitely expecting.

As Nicole entered her gynecological appointment at 7:00 am., she took a deep breath in and out and then prayed to God, something she didn't do often, yet under the circumstances she figured now was as good a time as ever to reintroduce herself to the only man who could make this miracle possible.

 _"God, I know I'm the last person who should be asking you for a favor. I'm sure you wrote me off years ago. But if it makes any difference, I'm really not asking for myself. I'm asking for this little guy or little girl growing inside of me," she said as she rubbed her tummy beginning to get choked up. "I know I should be asking you for forgiveness right now for all my endless sins, but you're God so why rehash what you already know, right? But, come on, I have had my share of good moments, haven't I?" she paused looking to remember her last selfless act and nothing would come to her mind. "Anyway, there's got to be something on my list of good deeds vs. evil ones, right? Despite my many faults, I do have love to give, I really do. Don't you think having two children stripped away from me before I could ever meet them was punishment enough for my discretions? I need this baby more than anything else in the world. Can you just let me keep it, just this once? I swear to be good - well, I'll try to be good, I promise, if you just give me the chance to be a mother. I know I could be a good one if you give me the chance."_

Nicole wiped her salty tears away as she walked into the hospital for her appointment.

"Well, Nicole, the pregnancy test was right, you are, in fact, about six weeks pregnant. But I was going over your chart from your previous doctors and I have to admit there are a lot of unforeseen dangers and variables we need to discuss. As you know, there was a lot of additional harm done to your insides the last time you miscarried, plus you fell down a flight of stairs which caused additional damage to your uterine wall, which was already damaged from a previous incident. It's more than a miracle that you even conceived again, but by all accounts, the chances of you making it to full term and delivering this baby is in the very low percentile. Judging from the amount of scar tissue in your uterus, the statistical data seems to unequivocally point to the fact that your body will eventually reject this pregnancy and you will most likely miscarry in your second or third trimester, which seems to be consistent with your last two pregnancies. For some reason, conceiving hasn't been your real problem, but it's you carrying a baby to term that your body just can't seem to handle. I really wish I had better news for you."

Nicole stood there with flowing tears at the news even if she was not at all surprised at what she was hearing. She had expected the worst and that's exactly what she got. "So what are my options, Doctor, or do I even have any?"

"Take a little time and think this over. I know this is not pleasant or easy for you but a decision has to be made on whether you want to let the miscarriage happen naturally, which can be very risky, or if you want to take more invasive steps and end it now."

"An abortion, you mean?" Nicole said the word that was bitter poison to her ears.

"I know that's hard for anyone to hear, especially to someone who wants a child as much as you do, but it is the most viable option in cases like yours. There is almost no chance here, but I can't tell you definitively there's no chance at all."

"So it is possible I can carry this baby to term?" Nicole said feeling the slightest bit optimistic.

"It's possible, but not probable. It's a very tiny window and I have to educate you that there are very serious medical complications attributed to women with your history that try to go through with a pregnancy like this. You were extremely lucky, Nicole, you didn't lose your life during your last two risky deliveries. And considering you've already miscarried twice, you are susceptible to a myriad of life-threatening complications due to the damage your body has already sustained. The statistics say you're at a higher risk for high blood pressure and that could lead to preeclampsia and then eclampsia."

"Eclampsia?" Nicole said, asking for an explanation.

"Eclampsia is when you have an onset of seizures and/or convulsions that can lead to coma, and that poses a great threat to you and your baby. There's also an 80 percent chance for placental abruption as well as a slew of other health risks associated with cases like yours. I'm very sorry, Nicole. I don't mean to throw all of this at you at once, but time is of the essence in situations like yours and I want you to be as knowledgeable as you can be so that you can make an informed decision."

"I know you're trying to be helpful, but this is too much information for me to take in right now. I just want to be happy for one day about being pregnant before I have to consider the negative alternatives," Nicole said in a very solemn tone.

"I completely understand. Look, why don't you let me get you all of the material so that you can sit down and you can read it. And then when you feel ready to make a decision, call me. You've got my number. But if you have any questions or need me after hours, I'll give you my home number so you can call me anytime day or night."

"Thank you, Dr. Stephens, I will," Nicole said quietly as she left in a zombie-like daze out of her office.

When Nicole exited the building, she ran into the bright sunshine and took a deep breath full of the fresh morning air. She had left her appointment distraught, feeling helpless and hopeless. She got in her car, cried some more, and then screamed at herself to pull it together. She wiped her tears with some Kleenex she pulled out from her glove box, freshened up her makeup, and started her car. She had to get herself together to walk into work and pretend that this was any ordinary day and not the worst day of her life. She had to try for the next eight hours to forget she had just been told in no uncertain terms that she needed to end her pregnancy for her own safety because she had almost no chance of carrying this baby to term.

It was the "almost no chance" that haunted her. If only the doctor could say zero percent and this wouldn't even be a discussion with herself. She'd be devastated but she'd know there was no other choice to make. But that wasn't the case she was confronted with. She knew that ending a pregnancy that had a one percent chance of a baby coming out at the other end of it wasn't something she was prepared to do. It wasn't cut and dry for her and it was not a choice she was willing to make at that moment and she didn't even want to think about it. When it came down to it, she didn't care about the risks to herself or what might happen to her, she only knew that her baby deserved that one percent chance at living.

Nicole felt alone and confused. If she ended her pregnancy, no one would ever know what she gave up. No one would have to know – well, no one knew now but nosy Daniel Jonas because he heard her talking to herself in the park after she took the home pregnancy test. He just had to eavesdrop on her private conversation she was having with her unborn child. _I swear that man is following me._ She was so angry at Daniel for interfering that she told him she wasn't going to have the baby just to get him to leave her the hell alone, but all it did was backfire on her and she got a lecture from him instead, and now she feared he was going to continue to harass her about it endlessly.

 _That asshole did absolutely nothing to save my baby the last time. He was too busy trying to sleep with me, that sleazeball. What did I ever see in him? Now he wants to interfere and give me advice. Screw that. Knowing him, he just wants to get in my pants again. What a douchebag._

* * *

As Nicole walked into her office at Titan, she felt a twinge of nausea coming on and hurried into her office, closed the door, and quickly sat down to compose herself. She pulled a bag of saltine crackers out of her purse that she brought from home and began to chew on one to try to stop from feeling the rush of light-headedness that quickly consumed her. At that point, she decided it was probably in her best interest and the floor's to move her garbage can right under her desk in case she had any sudden bouts of morning sickness and couldn't make it to the bathroom in time.

"Ms. Walker?" Nicole's assistant said over her speakerphone.

"Yes, George?" Nicole answered.

"Um, you have a visitor," he said hesitantly.

"Um, okay. Who is it?" she asked.

"I can't say."

"What do you mean you can't say? Why can't you say, George?" she said confused.

"Well, you told me in no uncertain terms was I ever to mention, speak, or say this person's name ever again."

 _"Daniel?_ " she thought to herself, trying to remember if she ever told George about the infamous groping doctor.

Nicole's wandering mind opened up and she felt a huge pit in her stomach and immediately felt a panic attack coming on when it suddenly became crystal clear exactly who her assistant was, in fact, referring to. _What's he doing here?_ _Why now?_ She hurriedly grabbed a manila envelope from her desk and began to fan herself at a very rapid pace when she felt a bout of anxiety looming. She was about to break out into a cold sweat when she began to feel sick to her stomach, but not the sick that came with expecting a baby.

"You're telling me that – _(she paused without speaking the name_ ) _–_ is here?" Nicole said in a very irritated manner over her speakerphone.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm saying that – _(pause)_ \- is right here standing in front of me."

"Well, you can tell – ( _pause) –_ he's the last person on earth I want to see."

"Yes, ma'am," George concurred.

(10 seconds of silence occurs.)

"Ma'am, he said he's not leaving until he speaks to you."

"Well, he's going to be waiting a long time," she exclaimed.

 _Who the hell does he think he is? Keep calm, Nicole. He'll go away. Deep breaths in and out._

"Matter of fact, call security, George, and have him escorted out," Nicole stated in no uncertain terms to her assistant.

" _For the love of God,_ " a loud male voice was heard outside of Nicole's office door right before Mr. Don't Speaketh His Name himself walked into Nicole's office.

Xander had already had an interactive and verbal conversation with himself in the car about how he should approach Nicole for the first time. Should he bring her flowers, apologize for his swift departure and his lack of communication, play it cool, or keep it strictly professional until he could gauge where her head was at? Before he realized she was still resentful evidenced by her resistance to seeing him, he had chosen to go the route of throwing himself at her feet and telling her no holds barred the whole truth about everything, but judging by her apparent sour mood, he quickly decided that maybe this wasn't the right setting to lay it all out there. Evidently, the workplace wasn't the best choice after all. So he X'd that idea, ditched the flowers, and was now working the angle of playing it cool and trying to be his old charming and flirty self pre-Japan, something Nicole was once very fond of. For now, try to play the positives, he thought, assess the damage that remained, and then go from there. Whether it worked or not was anyone's guess.

"I'm sorry to barge in on you, Nicole. I just need a minute of your time," Xander said as he began to walk toward her desk.

"Get out before I have you thrown out," she threatened as she stood up from her desk.

"George, where is security?" she blasted his incompetence over the speaker phone.

"Wow, I see you're still a little angry at me," he said trying to lighten her mood.

 _More like hormonal, you jerk._

"They're on the way, ma'am," George said nervously.

"You waltz back into my office after being gone a month and a half without even as much as a phone call first and you think you can just show up here any time you want? You can make an appointment like everyone else," she said with rude authority. "What are you even doing back in Salem?"

"Still as feisty as ever I see," he smiled. "I sure did miss that spunk."

"Don't try to be cute right now. I'm not in the mood," she commented as she felt a familiar burst of electricity spark inside of her, which only seemed to happen whenever he was around. _I see he didn't get any less attractive while he was away. That could turn out to be a problem._

"I know you think I'm a certified jerk and by all accounts that is probably true, but, if I recall, you couldn't get rid of me fast enough when I tried to say goodbye to you. If I recall, you slammed the door in my face."

"So what's your point?"

"Why are you still so upset?" he asked, thinking it was a perfectly legitimate question.

"I"m not upset. I'm annoyed," she said as her eyes shifted away from him as she prayed he couldn't see right through her lie.

"I'm sorry my presence is such an annoyance to you, Nicole," he said looking defeated. "I just thought you should know that -"

"At this point, I don't care what you think, Xander," she interrupted while still looking away, hating every minute of this conversation.

"Well, I think you've made that perfectly clear," he acknowledged as he tried to make eye contact with her but she refused to look at him.

"So I guess this means you're over me, huh?" he teased, trying to break the chill in the air from going below freezing.

"I didn't have to get 'over you,' you conceded jerk," she said in no uncertain terms turning her head to look right at him. "I've hardly even thought about you since you left."

"Hardly, huh?" he teased as he picked up on her choice of words.

"You know what I mean," she said with a wicked glare.

"So you've moved on then?" he inquired, posing a nosy question he wasn't particularly ready to hear the wrong answer to.

"How is that any of your business?" she barked at him.

"It's a simple question," he said grinning widely.

"Don't do that. Don't try to flash that sexy little smile at me and think it will make things better. It's too little, too late for that," she told him frankly.

"I just want you to be happy, Nicole, I mean that," he said sincerely. "So...are you happy?"

"Yes, I'm happy. I'm the happiest I've ever been," she said thinking of her unborn baby and then becoming agitated.

Nicole threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "What are you even doing here, Xander? Are you really here to inquire about my love life? Are you kidding me right now?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"You could have fooled me," she snapped sharply at him.

"I don't want to argue with you, Nicole. That's not why I came here."

"Well, am I supposed to guess?" she asked all fired up.

All of a sudden security rushed in the door and looked at both Nicole and Xander.

"Ms. Walker, we heard there was an intruder in the building."

"Yeah, you're looking at him," Nicole said pointing to Xander.

"Ma'am?" the security guard said looking perplexed at both of them.

"Nicole, that is what I came to tell you. I'm coming back to work here at Titan," Xander spoke up.

"What do you mean you're coming back to Titan? You mean here Titan? In Salem Titan?"

"Yes. Is that going to pose a problem for you?" he asked sincerely.

Nicole stood flabbergasted and completely taken aback.

"Tony, everything is all right here. You can go now. Sorry for the trouble," Xander said to the security guy who still didn't know what was going on as he left the room.

"Wait a minute. So you couldn't cut it overseas and so now you've crawled your way back here, is that it?" she said as bitchy as she could.

"Not exactly, but I am back and Philip is the one who asked me if I wanted to work here again," he answered.

"I don't buy it. What's your angle?" she said, pretty much accusing him of being full of shit.

"I'm sure you've heard about my Uncle Victor's most recent stroke."

"Yes. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." When the words came out, she immediately wanted to take them back.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that no matter how ticked off I am at you. Victor and I may have hated each other, but I know you cared about him, despite how he treated you."

 _If she only knew I despised him as much as she did._

"No apologies, Nicole. You have every reason to hate him, _as do I_ ," he said stating the last three words quietly under his breath.

"What did you say?" she spoke up.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you at another time when we have more time to talk."

"You're presuming an awful lot, aren't you?" she raised her eyebrow at him.

"I don't mean to, but I really need to talk to you about a lot of things."

"Well, I'm booked up solid for at least two weeks. I don't think I can fit you in," she continued to be somewhat hostile to him.

"Well, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll let you get back to work. I just wanted to be the one to let you know I was back."

"So you're back. That's great for you. You know that an e-mail would have sufficed, but you've never been the subtle type, have you?"

"I like the straightforward-put-it-all-on-the-line approach myself," he cracked a slight grin.

Nicole stood there in silence wishing he'd lay it all on the line right about now for her.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this but it was really good to see you again, Nicole. You look amazing. Whatever you're doing is working for you. In fact, I'd say you're absolutely glowing."

His choice of words took her by surprise and she immediately felt the room spinning around her. She felt queasy and swiftly threw her hand over her mouth, prompting Xander to rush over to her side.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he put his arms around her to keep her from falling.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. I just forget to eat breakfast so I'm a little light-headed."

"Here, let me help you sit down," he said concerned as he helped her sit down in her chair and knelt down beside her holding onto her hand.

"Can I get you some water?" he said as he placed the back of his free hand on her forehead to see if she had a temperature.

"No, Xander, I'm fine. I don't need you to get me anything. Just go, please. I need to be alone."

"You're a little warm, Nicole. Maybe you should lie down on the couch."

"Stop babying me. I'm okay. Can't I forget to eat breakfast and faint in peace?" she snapped, trying to push him away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I was just worried about you," he said.

"Well, don't," she said matter of factly. "You can let go of my hand now," she commented in a stern tone.

"Oh, yes, of course," he apologized, as he released her hand and stood up and then slowly backed away from her to give her space. "I'm really sorry. I'll leave you alone," he said reluctantly because he was still concerned for her well-being but he didn't want to upset her any further.

"Oh, by the way, I'll let Philip know that it's probably best we don't work together as closely as we did before. I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he commented as he turned to leave.

"Xander," Nicole called out to him feeling a little bad at how strongly she reacted. "I didn't mean to jump all over you. I just have a lot of things on my mind is all."

"It's okay, I understand. It's my fault for just showing up here," he said holding his head down, feeling the distance between them.

"Thanks for trying to help me," she replied to him in a softer, calmer mood, "despite me biting your head off."

"Anytime, you know that," he said with a hint of a smile while trying to mask the sadness he felt inside knowing they were so many worlds apart.

When Xander left the room, Nicole abruptly got up and locked her office door and then ran to her bathroom and got down on her knees and bent her head over the toilet. She stayed on the floor long after she had thrown up because she felt a whole different kind of sick. Now that Xander was back in town and no longer technically out of the picture, it only complicated things. It didn't change the decisions that ultimately had to be made but now she had to decide whether or not to include Xander in on these decisions about this baby, his baby. Her Gut said HELL NO, but her Heart told her Gut to SHUT THE HELL UP AND TELL XANDER THE TRUTH. She was 0 for 2 in the lying-is-the-only-way-out-of-this-mess department, and she learned the hard way that lying during a high risk pregnancy only added more stress on her and the baby. And judging from all the lies she told during her last two pregnancies, she firmly believed it was a bad omen to do it again and truly wanted things to go down differently this time, no matter what the circumstances were.

If Xander never came back to town, that would have been one thing, but he was here now and the only way to not include him in this was to lie and deceive and she had no time or energy to focus on negative things. This time she wasn't going to make her pregnancy all about the man in her life; it was only going to be about the baby she was carrying. She knew she had to lay it all on the line and let the chips fall where they may. Xander would have to decide just how much he wanted to be involved, if at all, because Xander or no Xander, she was having this baby.


	14. Right Hook

**Long chapter for you girls or guys. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

(Wednesday, November 18th, 7:30 am, Salem University Hospital)

Xander reluctantly entered the hospital to meet with Philip and Brady about Victor's condition. Victor had been at University Hospital over a week since he suffered his debilitating stroke and now Philip wanted to seriously discuss whether he should move Victor to a long-term care facility out of Salem for him to live out his days and get 24-hour care or whether they should take him off the ventilator. As Xander entered the room, Brady and Philip were standing by Victor's bedside with solemn expressions on their faces.

"Hello, Brady. How are you?" Xander said delicately trying to gauge Brady's state of mind since he hadn't seen him since the day he threw him up against Nicole's office wall at Titan."

"Xander," he responded and then walked over to him.

"Brady, I hope there's no hard feelings," Xander said trying to reach out to Brady. "I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand the last time we saw each other."

"Forget it. I was drunk, obnoxious, and I deserved everything I got. You were just doing what I would have done if the roles were reversed. You were just looking out for Nicole. That was one of my lower points during my relapse. But good news is that I've been in outpatient rehab for the last couple of months and I haven't had a drink since that day, so I should be thanking you," Brady said as he shook Xander's hand.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're feeling better," Xander replied.

"Me too. I'm going to AA religiously and trying to keep active. I don't want to fall that low ever again," Brady admitted.

"I know Nicole was really worried about you," Xander explained.

"Well, for the last several weeks, she's been there with me every step of the way. She's a good friend and she never gives up on someone she cares about," Brady commented. "She's one incredible woman."

"Tell me about it," Xander said under his breath.

"What was that?" Brady asked.

"Nothing," he replied and then hurriedly changed the subject. "So what are your plans now?"

"Well, I was thinking about coming back to Titan if Philip will have me," he glanced over at Philip for his input.

"You're family, Brady. You're always welcome. Actually, to have all the Kirakises back at Titan to carry on my father's legacy would only be fitting under the circumstances," Philip said as he looked down at Victor.

"Here, here," Brady concurred.

"Xander, I'm glad you could make it here on such short notice," Philip said.

"It was no problem at all. I'm glad you thought to include me."

"We've talked to the doctors and our own specialists and they all seem to concur about my father's condition. His brain has no activity on any of the scans and he's been officially declared brain dead. We were told that he's never coming out of his coma. Me and Brady talked about this and we've discussed all of the alternatives, and although we do want to get your input on this, we feel the right thing to do is to take him off of the ventilator and not prolong the inevitable."

"I see," Xander said as he looked over at a helpless Victor lying there with tubes protruding from his arms and nose and an assortment of other machines hooked up to him to keep his heart beating. "As tough as this decision is for me, I agree that letting him go would be the best thing we can do for him. You know Victor, he'd never want to be stuck in some facility, hooked up to machines for the rest of his life."

"Exactly. He's too proud for that. I've always kind of expected he'd go out with a bang, not a whimper," Brady offered his words of experience.

"We're going to let the rest of the family and his close colleagues say their goodbyes to him, and then we're going to turn off the ventilators on Friday. I'll let you know the exact time when I know more," Philip informed Xander.

"Yes, I'd like to say my goodbyes," Xander responded in a somber tone.

"Okay. Well, I've got a lot of red tape to get through and a lot of paperwork to fill out. I'll be at Titan in about an hour so I'll see you then," Philip said.

"Yeah, I'll be heading there now," Xander informed him.

"And, Brady, just let me know when you're ready and there will be a job waiting for you."

"Thanks, Philip, I appreciate that," Brady replied.

Xander walked out of the hospital room and was suddenly hit with an ounce of remorse for the way things went down with his uncle, but then he quickly remembered what a bastard his uncle was the last time he had seen him, the threats he had made toward Nicole and him, his complete lack of decency, and just like that the little sympathy he drummed up for him grew right back into bitterness all over it again. All he ever wanted was Victor's love and respect and instead he felt used and shunned by him most of his adult life.

As Xander stood outside Victor's room lost in thought, he suddenly spotted a blonde-headed woman in his periphery view who resembled Nicole, but before he could fully turn his head to confirm it was her, she had went into a room across from where he was standing. His curiosity got the better of him because he liked to think he could spot his Nicole a mile away, so he began to nonchalantly walk over to the room he saw the woman go in.

(Conversation that happened before Xander walked over.)

"What are you doing here, Daniel?" Nicole said with an annoyed tone. "Where is Dr. Stephens? This is her office, isn't it?"

"Dr. Stephens was called out on an emergency and I'm covering her patients. I had no idea you had an appointment today."

"I don't have an appointment, but she told me to stop by anytime. I need to talk to her about something important," she explained.

"Well, I don't have any patients for an hour. Why don't you sit down and tell me what's on your mind?"

(Cracking up) "In your dreams. I already told you, I'm not discussing my personal business that just so happens to be none of your business, so you can just forget it," Nicole rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm not going to judge you, Nicole. I'm here to listen," Daniel spouted his same bullshit.

"Are you serious? When have you ever listened to a woman's opinion? You're too busy coming on to every patient you meet," she insulted him and it felt so good.

"Nicole, you know that's not true," Daniel moved in closer putting his hands on her shoulders. "You know how I feel about you, and I never stopped caring about you. Don't you know how sorry I am about the way things ended between us. I still miss you, baby."

(Xander stopped in front of the room and began to hear voices through the cracked door. When he looked inside, he could see Nicole's back and Daniel Jonas standing in front of her with his hands on her, but he chose to stay back to assess the situation before he jumped to the wrong conclusions.)

"You are completely delusional, you know that? We broke up months ago. Haven't you moved on to your next patient by now?"

"I don't want anyone but you. Can't you give me another chance?" he begged.

"Hell no. Now get your hands off of me before I scream or, better yet, kick you in the balls."

"Come on, Nicole, don't be like that. I just think you need someone right now," he said as he began to massage the top of her arms, showing his sleaziness knew no bounds. "Let me be that man for you."

Nicole threw her arms up and yanked his hands off of her with force. "Stop groping me, you pervert," she stated cleary and firmly. "What is wrong with you? I don't want or need you in my life. How many ways can I say it before you get it through your messed up head? I want you to stay the hell away from me. Do you get that?" she shouted.

As much as Xander wanted to interfere and pound Daniel's face in, he saw that Nicole was handling him quite nicely all on her own and he didn't want to give her another reason to be angry at him for butting in where he didn't belong, so he was just about to walk off.

At that moment, Nicole suddenly began to feel light-headed and nauseous and unsteady on her feet, and Daniel picked up on it immediately by her pale expression and flush face, but since Xander was behind her, he had no idea. All he saw was Daniel put his hands on her again by throwing one arm around her shoulder and then putting his other hand on her lower waist, and that was more than enough to show Xander that this man needed to be taught a tough lesson.

"I got you, honey. Don't you worry about a thing," Daniel said as be breathed his brand of sleaze all over her.

"Let go of me," Nicole said as the door suddenly flew open and then crashed hard against the side of the wall.

"You heard her. Get your fucking hands off of her, Daniel," Xander roared loudly as he entered the room and stood near the door with a menacing snarl on his face. "I'm not asking you again," Xander threatened. "Let her go."

"Xander Cook, what the hell are you doing here?'' Daniel said as he completely ignored Xander's demands.

"It's Kiriakis, you piece of shit," Xander corrected him.

Nicole seeing just how serious Xander was managed to squirm her body out of Daniel's sticky grip and moved over to the side in shock.

"Xander, what – what the hell?" How did you know I was here?" Nicole gasped loudly as she stood idly by trying to gauge what exactly Xander did or didn't know.

"I didn't know you were here, Nicole. I was just meeting with Philip and Brady about Victor," Xander answered her in a very calm tone considering his mood. "I just happened by and saw this – this sorry excuse for a man with his hands all over you and thought you might need some assistance."

"She doesn't need anything from you," Daniel spoke up with an attitude. "You need to turn around and walk out of here now before I call security. Nicole and I were having a very private conversation and we're not done," Daniel added as he kept his distance.

"Our conversation was over, Daniel," Nicole said, disputing Daniel's ridiculous claims. "And would you stop speaking for me? I'm perfectly capable of speaking for myself," Nicole stood her ground.

"We weren't done talking, Nicole." Daniel said not giving up.

"YES, we were," she confirmed again.

At that point, Xander had had enough and he walked right up to Daniel, chest out, veins pulsing, as he got up in Daniel's very intimidated face. Xander stood there towering over a much smaller Daniel. "You just don't know how to take no for an answer, do you Danny boy?" Xander scowled as he waited to see if Daniel reacted, hoping badly he would.

"Get the hell out of my office," Daniel spouted.

"Nicole, can you please excuse us. I need to have a word with Daniel alone," Xander insisted.

"A word?" she said eyes wide open and totally skeptical that that was all he wanted to do.

Xander looked at her and gave her a slow, deliberate head nod and then slung his head slightly to the side indicating he needed her out of there ASAP.

"Xander, he's not worth it," Nicole said, trying to convince him to leave with her.

"Nicole, there's some things that me and Daniel need to straighten out man to man," he replied directly as he kept his eyes on a now cowering Daniel. "And this isn't something a lady should have to witness."

"Uh, I" – she mumbled.

"Please," he said softly to her but with very firm undertones.

"Um, okaaaaay," she hurriedly said as she scurried past both of them while making a "oh shit" facial expression with her mouth as she ran out the door, leaving it wide open.

"You think you're such a tough guy, huh?" Daniel said trying to stand his ground and losing badly.

"And you're a dick, in more ways than one," Xander responded in disgust. "And now your sorry little ass doesn't have Victor to protect you from me."

"I'm not going to fight you, Xander," Daniel replied looking nervous.

"You should have thought about that before you laid your filthy hands on Nicole."

"You're just jealous Nicole is still in my life and not in yours, admit it? You can't stand that I've had her and you haven't and she loved every minute of it."

"Hmm," Xander's throat grumbled deeply while he let out a disgusted breath over what he had just heard and then proceeded to walk over to the door and shut it. He turned back around, looked at Daniel with a devilish smirk and walked straight up to him. Without so much as a warning, he hauled back and knocked the hell out of Daniel with a right hook square in the jaw. The hit was so hard Xander could hear the bone crack beneath his fist. Daniel's eyes flew into the back of his head as blood shot out from his mouth and he immediately began to fall. Xander swiftly grabbed him by the collar of his hospital coat and held him up as Daniel's body grew limp in his hands.

"Wake up, Daniel," Xander said as he smacked Daniel's cheek very hard a couple of times. "One punch is all you can take? Ah, come on, where's the fun in that? I'm really disappointed in you, Daniel. You carry yourself to be the big-guy-on-campus, fully equipped with a holier than though God complex and that's all you've got? A man like you who preys on unsuspecting women is just a weak little man? I really want to beat you senseless, you self-righteous son of a bitch, but you're far too pathetic."

Daniel began to groan in pain as he opened one eye. "Where am I?" he moaned loudly.

"Oh, there you are, you little shit. If you ever, EVER, touch Nicole again or so much as speak her name where I can hear it, I. Will. Kill. You," he said in a very dark and deliberate manner as he moved in closer to make his threat. "Do you hear me, Asshole?" he whispered quietly in his ear but the threat was loud and clear, judging by Daniel's head moving up and down affirmatively.

"And if you think of calling the cops and reporting this, I will tell them that you assaulted Nicole and, believe me, by the look of things, I'd say she'd back me up."

"I won't go near her ever again, I promise," Daniel said breathlessly.

"Oh I know you won't. If you so much as look at her sideways, I'll break your fucking neck, you got that?"

Daniel shook his head up and down and then passed out cold.

(Knock on the door.)

Xander quickly dragged Daniel's lifeless body over by his desk, sat him in his chair, and turned his head sideways and then laid it flat down on the side he punched. Right then, the door slowly came open and a nurse appeared.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know Dr. Jonas was seeing any patients yet. I have a message for him," the nurse said kind of wondering what she walked in on. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm just a friend of the family. I came in here to visit Daniel and it looks like he's out like a light. Must have worked a long shift. Maybe we should let him sleep," Xander suggested.

"As a matter of fact, I think he did work all night. I won't disturb him."

"That's probably a good idea," Xander agreed.

"Well, I'll just leave the message on his desk," she said as she placed the note next to Daniel's head, looked at Xander with a flirty smile, and then walked away.

Xander looked back at a passed out Daniel once more and then exited the room. His mind immediately went to Nicole and he started to look around for her, but couldn't find her anywhere. He searched the whole floor top to bottom and when he had no luck finding her, he finally came to the conclusion she must have left, probably angry at him for butting into her business again, just like he had done with Brady.

He cursed silently at himself for fucking this up again, but he had no regrets for what happened with Daniel. That man whore had it coming. But Xander was still pissed off that he couldn't make any headway where Nicole was concerned. He'd been back in town for over 24 hours and he was nowhere close to getting her to forgive him. Every hour that passed felt like a knife in his chest.

He got on the elevator discouraged but not defeated. He hit the button for the third floor parking deck and pondered what his next move should be. He was just going to have to face her head on, door slams and face slaps be damned. He was just going to have to get her to listen to him long enough for him to tell her the truth. And if she still wanted nothing to do with him, he'd have to just try something more inventive. Giving up on her was not an option, but he didn't want to pressure her either.

Xander exited the elevator and headed down the long, chilly corridor to his car. As he rounded the corner, he spotted a shadowy figure in the distance that caught his eye. As he focused in closer, his heart jumped in his chest when he saw Nicole leaning against his car.

"Hi," she said softly greeting him with a half smile as he approached her.

"Hi," he repeated back her sentiment while stopping dead in his tracks.

"Can we talk?" she said as she leaned forward off the trunk of his car.

"Absolutely," he responded optimistically as he walked right up to her.

"I'm sorry to stalk you in the parking lot," she teased as she began to shiver from the cold, wet air. "What I have to say couldn't wait."

"First of all, you can stalk me any time," he smiled. "Second, I can hear your teeth chattering from here. Let's talk in the car, if that's okay with you?" he asked sweetly.

"Yes, good idea," she agreed right away. "I ran out of the house this morning and forgot my coat."

Xander walked over to the passenger's side of his car and opened the door for Nicole as all fine gentlemen do. After she sat down, he closed her door and went around and got in on the other side. He immediately turned on the ignition and cranked up the heat to high, pointing all of the vents toward her.

"Is that better?" he asked her.

"Yes, much," she said as she placed her hands over the hot air blowing from the vents and began to rub her hands together.

"Here, take my jacket," he leaned forward as he began the process of removing it.

"No, no, the heater is just fine," she commented, stopping him before he took it off.

"You sure? Your nose and cheeks are as red as a ripe apple. I don't want you to catch a cold."

Nicole began to think logically about what he just said and in her present condition she couldn't risk any sudden illnesses. "Okay, maybe I will take you up on that jacket."

Xander expeditiously removed his jacket and flung it behind Nicole's back and hung it over her shoulders where she wrapped it tightly around her.

"Thank you," she said with half a smile.

"You're welcome," he said gazing over at her trying to catch up on the six weeks of her beautiful face he had missed.

"So...I see no visible bruises on you. That's a good sign. I guess you didn't get in a fight with Daniel or he's flat out on his back in his office right now?" Nicole inquired, praying for the former for Xander's sake but secretly hoping for the latter for her own satisfaction."

"Neither," Xander smirked as he sat there quietly.

"What did you do to him?" she asked, looking a bit befuddled at his response.

"Not nearly enough," he answered matter of factly. "Let's just say he got what he deserved and he's not going to tell a soul about it if he knows what's good for him."

She smiled over at him as she shook her head. "I hope that wasn't all on my account."

"I'll admit, I've been waiting for a long time to knock a couple of his teeth out and the right time presented itself. Seeing him with his hands all over you like that, I just snapped. I have a bad habit of doing that and I'm sorry. I know what you have or don't have with him is none of my business, but I heard you tell him to get his hands off of you and he wouldn't listen. That man has got away with this sort of thing for far too long. Am I wrong?" he said hoping she'd understand.

"No, you're definitely not wrong. But, Xander, you know that me and Daniel were over long before you came back to town the last time. I have zero interest in him. He just wants what he can't have, like most men," she exhaled showing her frustration.

"I don't think you'll be having any more problems with him, trust me."

"But he's still breathing, right?" she asked for clarification.

Xander laughed at her question. "Yes, Nicole, he's alive. I roughed him up a little. I could have done so much more – Lord, knows I wanted to – but he's just too pitiful and weak to even offer me any opposition."

"Thank God," she exhaled loudly.

"Don't tell me you are concerned for his well-being?" Xander frowned at the thought.

"Not his. Yours." She looked away briefly after being so honest about her feelings.

"Mine? Why would you be concerned about me?" he asked, tilting his head slightly totally taken aback by her response.

"Well, I kind of need you in one piece and not in jail for the foreseeable future," she answered vaguely enough to not tell him why, but clearly enough for Xander to realize something was definitely up.

"What does that mean, Nicole? Is everything okay? Why did you want to talk to me?"

"Whoa whoa, that's a lot of questions," Nicole said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

"Forgive me. I just know this must be important if you felt the need to talk to me all of a sudden," Xander said feeling very anxious. "You weren't very happy to see me yesterday."

"It's kind of hard for me to say," she said as she swallowed hard. "I don't even know where to begin or how to say this."

"Just take your time. Go as slow as you want. I'm not going anywhere," Xander assured her.

"I personally didn't even think I'd ever see you again, but yet, here you are," she said tapping her chest to try to calm her obvious nerves.

"Now you're just scaring me. What is it? Tell me, please," he urged her.

Tears began to fill up her eyes as she thought of her little precious miracle growing inside of her while looking at his or her daddy. The thought that they may never get to meet their child was too much for her.

Xander quickly leaned over to her and placed his hand on her arm to console her. "Nicole, my God, what's the matter?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little emotional right now. I can't help it," she cried as she threw her hands over her face and then turned her body away from him.

"Please don't push me away. I know we're not on the best terms right now, but I'm still your friend, if you'll let me be. I'm here for you."

"Right now you are, but you may not be for long," she said as she began to wipe her tears and prepare to tell him the truth.

"I won't leave your side, I swear to God," he promised her. "Whatever it is, you can't scare me away."

She paused momentarily, closing her eyes and trying to relax. "So I went to the hospital the other day and I saw a doctor, and she told me" - Nicole stopped abruptly and took a deep breath in and out as she grabbed hold of her stomach.

"Does this have to do with why you were just at the hospital?" he asked urgently, trying to feel in the blanks that she hadn't been able to.

She nodded her head up and down as she couldn't get the words out through her hormonal tears.

"Oh, my God, Nicole, please tell me you're okay. You're not sick, are you?" he said slowly beginning to go out of his mind thinking she had some terminal illness. "This is all my goddamn fault for leaving you in the first place," he cursed and blamed himself angrily.

"My condition is technically half your fault, but it's not what you think," Nicole blurted out as she turned toward him and threw her head into his chest and buried her face in it while she cried. He in turned wrapped his arms around her, moving his right hand up and placing it on the back of her neck as he repeatedly kissed the top of her head while he cradled her.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be all right, Nicole," he whispered trying to comfort her the best he could as she remained still in his arms. "It is going to be all right, isn't it?" he asked, completely scared of what her answer was going to be.

"Xander, I'm – I'm -" Nicole mumbled incoherently into his shirt.

Xander suddenly reached down, grabbed her gently by the face and pulled her off of him so he could look at her.

"What the hell is it, Nicole?" he said desperately searching for an answer.

"I'm sure this is the last thing you ever expected to hear, as it was for me, but..."

"It's okay, just say it," he whispered tenderly.

"I'm pregnant," she said quickly and then threw her head down, trying to hide from his reaction.

"You're what?" he said as he leaned back in his seat from the roller coaster of emotional exhaustion he just went through.

Through her tears and puffy eyes and runny nose, she answered, "I'm having a baby."

Xander's back still clinging to his seat and his head glued against the headrest suddenly had the worst nightmare while being totally awake. _Did Daniel assault her? Could this be his baby? Is that why she was arguing with him at the hospital? Why didn't I kill him when I had the chance?_

He expelled that sickening thought out of his head and turned to his right to look at Nicole. "Nicole, are you telling me this because you need someone to talk to about this or are you telling me this because..." he paused waiting for her answer.

"I'm telling you because - because this is your baby, Xander," she said softly and not sure what to expect. "I know this must come as a shock to -"

"Jesus fucking Christ, Nicole," he leaped over toward her and pulled her into an embrace. "You had me believing that you were dying there for a minute," he sighed loudly with relief as he let go of his hold on her and placed his right hand on her cheek.

"A baby?" he asked her delicately and then a huge smile formed on his face.

Nicole shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head affirmatively in response. "Why are you so calm? Why aren't you jumping out of this car and running the other direction? I thought you'd be disappointed or at least unhappy about this?"

"Unhappy is not the word I'd use to characterize what I'm feeling right now. I'm a lot surprised and a little terrified, and a million other things, but not unhappy. Why? Are you unhappy?" he asked her trying to read her thoughts.

"No, not about being pregnant," she said looking at him sadly.

"Then what is, Nicole? I thought this is something you've always wanted."

"It is everything I've ever wanted," she replied emphatically.

"Oh, I see. It's because you thought I'd just hide from my responsibilities and not want anything to do with you or the baby, is that it?" he said eager to know.

"Before yesterday, I didn't think you were even coming back to Salem, Xander, according to what Philip had said.

"You asked about me?" he inquired with a hopeful grin.

"No, I didn't 'ask' about you. He volunteered the information," she explained plainly, but knew she wasn't being totally truthful.

"So if I hadn't come back, you wouldn't have told me; is that what you're saying?"

"Frankly, I hadn't even thought that far ahead. I just found out a couple of days ago I was pregnant. It's just starting to sink in."

"Oh, now it all makes perfect sense. When you almost fainted in your office yesterday, it wasn't from lack of food. You had morning sickness; am I right?"

"Yes, it comes with the territory, unfortunately."

"Are you taking care of yourself, eating enough?"

"Yes, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do. I just didn't expect this to happen again and under these circumstances."

"Look, I know the timing may not be perfect considering the state of our relationship, which I intend to resolve by the way, but this baby is a part of me too and I want to be involved any way I can," he uttered very sincerely.

"You don't have to be. I can do this alone. I didn't tell you to force you to do anything you don't want to do. I just wanted to be honest about it."

"Nicole, I don't run from my obligations," he interrupted her train of thought and then immediately realized she just might have a problem with what he just said on account of how he left town on a whim.

"Xander, you ran from me at the first chance you got, to another country of all things. I certainly didn't think finding out you had knocked me up would change anything, except maybe inconvenience you."

"Nicole, you could never be an inconvenience to me. God, you've got it so wrong. Look, there's something you need to know and -"

"Ow," Nicole began to holler in pain.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" he gasped with concern.

"Yes, I think I'm okay. It was just a cramp. It's subsiding now."

"Maybe we should go back into the hospital," he suggested strongly.

"No, no, I just want to go home. I just want to lie down."

"You weren't planning on going into work today, were you?" he asked her.

"I had taken the morning off. I'm supposed to be there this afternoon, though."

"Well, I can tell Philip you're not feeling well if you want me to and that you need the rest of the day off."

"No, no, I think I'm fine. I just want to rest awhile."

"Okay, I won't push you, Nicole."

"I appreciate that," she responded.

"Do you want me to drive you to your car?"

"Oh, I forgot all about my car. I really don't feel up to driving. Can you take me home?"

"Of course. And don't worry about your car. Just give me your keys and I'll have someone bring it to you later."

"Thank you for being so nice when I have given you every reason not to be," she said in a very caring tone.

"I don't need a reason..." he whispered. "Now buckle up."

Xander backed up and left the parking garage and headed towards Nicole's apartment.

"Are you feeling okay, love?" Xander asked as he brushed Nicole's arm gently while he drove.

"I don't think I'll ever be okay," she said as Xander stepped on the gas to get Nicole home.

When they reached Nicole's apartment building, he walked her to her door and stood there not knowing if he should invite himself in, but just when he mustered up enough courage to...

"Xander, do you want to come in for awhile?" Nicole asked first to Xander's surprise.

"Sure, I'd love to."

"There's some things you need to know that I haven't told you yet," she confessed.

"I was about to say the same thing to you," he admitted.

Xander and Nicole walked into her apartment both very nervous and with a lot on their minds. They walked over to her couch and sat down together.

"There's so much I want to tell you, Nicole," he said breathlessly. "So much you need to know."

"And I want to hear it, all of it, but do you mind if I go first?" she requested. "I really need to get this out."

"Certainly," he agreed.

"You know I've had a couple of miscarriages in the past and I've been told over and over I can't get pregnant."

"Seems like you've been wrongly informed."

"Tell me about it. I'm never prepared for this because I never expect it."

"Nicole, if you're worried about doing this alone, don't be. You've got me this time around and I'll make sure you get the best care possible. You won't have to worry about a thing. I'll take care of everything, I promise you."

"It's not that," she paused for a long while before she said the words she didn't even want to admit to herself. "I don't think I can have this baby."

"What do you mean by that?" he looked over at her puzzled by her statement.

"The doctor told me that it's pretty much impossible for me to carry to term. I'll most likely miscarry in my 2nd or 3rd trimester due to complications just like I did with my other two babies. She said I should consider...(she took deep breaths in and out)...terminating this pregnancy."

"Your doctor wants you to abort our baby?" he said in horror as he already felt he had a stake in this.

"That's her recommendation under the circumstances. I just don't think I can do it, Xander."

"And what's the worst case scenario if you don't do it?" he asked for more answers.

"She said I could be risking my health and possibly my life."

"Risking your life how?" he said frightened by the thought of any harm coming to her.

"I don't care about me. I would risk anything if I knew I could have this baby. That's what matters the most."

"Wait a minute, Nicole, I may have no right to put my two cents in where you're concerned, but for the record, I'd literally go mad if anything happened to you. Let's make that perfectly clear right now."

Nicole looked at him slightly perplexed by his statement, wondering where his head was at.

"Don't worry about me, Xander. I'm a fighter. It's this baby who's got to have someone to fight for it and protect it."

"Then we've got to do everything in our power to keep you and this baby safe," he smiled lovingly at her.

"You mean you understand why I have to do this?" she said feeling a little overcome with emotion.

"Of course I do. I'd never ask you to go against what you feel is right," he reassured her. "You are going to make such a wonderful mother, Nicole."

"You think so?"

"I know so. But can you cut me some slack and maybe deal with a little extra spoiling and pampering over you a bit, because someone's got to make sure mommy is okay while you're making sure baby is okay."

"Deal," Nicole got teary-eyed. "This baby is my lifeline. I know this is your baby too and it's an unexpected surprise and we're not even together, but none of that matters to me. I want this baby, Xander. I need my baby. I just didn't want to make this decision alone. I need you to tell me it's going to be okay," she began to cry again.

"Oh, Nicole, it's going to be okay. We're going to get through this. We'll do whatever it takes."

"Why does this keep happening to me?" she threw her arms up in the air. "Why can't it be easy for once?"

Xander let Nicole fall over into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her as he held her in his arms on the couch.

"Nicole, if this is your decision, I'm on your side and we'll get through it together."

"You mean that?" she said as she laid against his chest.

"Of course I mean that."

"I can't lose this baby, Xander, not another one. I want the chance to meet him or her this time and hold them in my arms."

"Then let's make that happen," he smiled widely at her as he grabbed her hand and put it in his. "Whatever it takes."

"You make it so hard for me to stay angry at you," she said breathlessly as she suddenly felt exhausted from all the emotional stress and felt her eyes grow heavy.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair while she slowly drifted to sleep in his arms. "Maybe we can be friends again afterall," he whispered to her.

Xander sat there with Nicole paying no attention to the time, dozing in and out himself. After a while his phone began to vibrate and ring in his pant's pocket but it happened to be the pocket Nicole's body was laying pressed up against. Whoever it was was persistent because as soon as the phone stopped ringing it began to ring again. Nicole finally began to stir after a few cycles of ringing.

"Hey, you," Xander smiled down on her.

"Is that my phone or yours?" she said with a quiet yawn.

"I'm so sorry, it's mine. I couldn't get to it."

"That's okay. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"I'm glad I was here for you to fall asleep on," he teased.

"Wait, what time is it?"

"It's 1:45."

"Seriously? Xander, I was supposed to be at work 45 minutes ago," she said as she stood up from the couch in record time.

"Wait a minute, didn't we get back here around 9:00?" Nicole asked.

"Something like that," he responded.

"I've been asleep for four hours?" she gasped.

"Just about," he smiled.

"You didn't have to sit with me all that time, Xander," she said a little shocked.

"I wanted to," he said softly.

(Cell phone ringing.)

"Yeah, this is Philip calling. I guess we're both busted. I was supposed to be there four hours ago," Xander revealed.

"Oh, crap, can you give me a ride? We never got my car, did we?"

"No, that totally slipped my mind, but if we're already busted, we might as well just walk in together."

Nicole and Xander began to walk out her door and she turned around to face him.

"Thank you for standing up for me today to Daniel and thank you for not freaking out on me when I was freaking out. It really meant a lot."

"My pleasure on both counts," he smiled that sexy little smile she had missed so much and wished was back in her life full time.

"God, I'm so sorry, you never got to tell me what you needed to tell me."

"I really do have so much to explain to you," he told her. "I have an idea. How about I cook you dinner at my place tonight," he suggested out of the blue.

"Xander, you don't have to make me dinner just because I'm pregnant."

"Nicole, I want to cook you dinner because I want to cook you dinner, nothing else."

"I don't get you at all. I really don't. Right now you're like the Xander I" – she stopped suddenly.

"What were you going to say?' he asked her. "Finish that sentence."

"You're like the Xander from New York. And I really missed him."

"He missed you too," he whispered breathlessly.

"But things are different now. Everything has changed," she said sadly.

"I haven't changed, Nicole."

"That's not true, though. You left. You've probably moved on. I've moved on... at least I thought I had," she looked away embarrassed by her admission.

"You couldn't be more wrong, Nicole. I haven't moved on at all. I don't think that's even possible at this point. I feel the same way I did the day I left."

"And how is that exactly?" she tilted her head to the side completely taken aback by his sudden revelation.

"It's exactly like this," he spoke ever so softly as he slowly took a gentle step toward her and she felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter like crazy as his lips got closer to hers, and then suddenly his cell phone began ringing again causing her to take a step backwards.

"You better answer that and tell Philip we're on the way before he sends out someone to find us."

"Philip," Xander answered. "Yes, I'm with Nicole. We're on our way in now. I'm sorry, we ran into some trouble. No, nothing to worry about. We'll be there in 20 minutes."

"I guess we better go," Nicole said not prepared to pick up where they just had left off still confused by everything that was happening.

"So can we finish this conversation later over dinner at my place, say 8:00? I'll cook you a good meal, anything you want."

"I have to warn you, I'm in the stage where I'm only craving bacon double cheeseburgers."

"Perfect. That's my specialty," he winked.

"In that case, I'd love to," she smiled.

* * *

 **Reviews and/or comments always welcome and get me pumped!**


	15. Confessions

(8:00 Xander's apartment)

"Hey," Nicole said nervously when Xander opened the door with a great big smile on his face and looking very handsome in a gray long-sleeved knit sweater and black slacks.

"Hey back," he responded. "You're right on time," he said as he held the door open for her.

"I may not be many things but I am punctual, especially when you send a car to my apartment to pick me up," she grinned as she walked through the threshold.

"I'm glad you came," he said making eye contact with her as he closed the door.

"Wow, so this is your apartment. This is huge. It sure beats that one-room hotel you used to stay at when you first came to town."

"Yes, I much prefer a lot of space and a lot of privacy," he commented.

"Well, this makes my apartment look like a cardboard box. How did you manage to get back into it so fast? Didn't you lease it out while you were away?" Nicole inquired.

"No, I didn't. I left it vacant and just paid the bill. I have a thing about sharing my things with others," Xander shared with a raise of his brow. "It comes with being an only child."

"I see," she responded with a slight nod. "And why didn't I ever come to your place again?" she said as she continued to admire the wide-open floor plan.

"If I recall correctly, it seems as though I was always coming to you groveling at your door or showing up unannounced for some reason or another," he laughed.

"Yeah, you've got a point," she smirked back at him.

"Can I take your coat for you?" he offered kindly noticing she was all bundled up from the cold.

"Yes, you may," she said as she turned around to assist him somewhat in that endeavor. He pulled her coat off her shoulders to reveal she was also dressed semi-casual for the evening in a pair of blue jeans, a purple cashmere turtleneck sweater, and black knee high boots.

"You look very lovely this evening, Nicole," he complimented her.

"Thank you. I was definitely going for comfortable tonight," she replied as he turned around to hang up her jacket on his coat rack and she happened to catch a very nice view of his backside in his nicely-fitted black slacks. _Baby's got back. Yes, sir._

"Would you like a drink?" he said as they made their way into the living room.

"I'd love one. What do you have?" Nicole asked.

"Well, I have anything, really, but 'for you' I have carrot juice, apple juice, milk, sparkling water, and I can make a mean fruit smoothie."

"Who are you?" she asked jokingly.

"Hey, even us rich, slightly flawed types, know to be prepared for anything at all times," he smiled.

"Well, in that case, why don't you surprise me," she said, flashing a very impressed grin across her face.

"Will do," he said as he headed toward the kitchen. "Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable."

Nicole followed Xander's suggestion and went and sat down on Xander's black leather sofa, which was sure to be Italian and very expensive. She leaned back and put her feet up on the matching leather ottoman and slowly sunk comfortably into it. Nicole could hear Xander over in the kitchen blending up some concoction but his back was to her so she couldn't quite make out what he was up to. Just as she sat up trying to catch a closer look, he started to turn around and she quickly leaned back into the couch trying to act nonchalant.

"Well, here we are," he said as he made his way over holding a large chilled mug with a straw in it. "One fruit smoothie just for you," he smiled as he handed her a freshly made fruit smoothie and sat down beside her.

"This looks delicious," Nicole said as she grabbed the straw and took a huge sip. The frozen drink tasted like a mixture of bananas and fresh strawberries. It was so rich and creamy, she couldn't put it down. She almost slurped it up in a few gulps.

"Oops, brain freeze," she said as she finally pulled her mouth away from the straw. "Is there ice-cream in this? I could swear I taste ice-cream. This is so yummy."

"I told you I make a mean smoothie. What, you didn't believe me?" he said looking at her with his best disapproving look.

"No, I didn't believe you at all," she said bluntly.

"I'm hurt, Nicole," he joked.

"Seriously, what's in this?" she asked.

"If I tell you what's in it, I'd be breaking a solemn oath," he said in such a way Nicole couldn't tell if he was playing or not.

"Are you being serious?" Nicole kinda laughed as Xander sat there staring at her. Nicole felt his eyes glued on her and slowly turned her head away feeling a bit unsure of how to react to all the attention he was giving her without knowing where they stood.

"Actually, my mom used to make them for me every weekend when I was a kid and this one was always my favorite. By the time I turned 14, I told her I was old enough to learn how to make them on my own and so she swore me to secrecy and taught me the secret recipe. So whenever she died, every weekend I would make fruit smoothies so I could feel close to her."

"Xander, you made me one of your mom's secret recipe fruit smoothies?" she replied, feeling very touched. "That's really sweet that you would include me in something you shared with your mother."

"Well, sharing them with people you - you care about is the whole point," he admitted.

"I'm really sorry about your mother. I understand how you feel completely," she said sincerely.

"You would have liked her, too. She was one tough cookie, so strong and beautiful, just like you are," he shared.

"Xander, what is all this?" she suddenly asked, feeling confused at the rush of emotions that had suddenly come over her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm still unsure what exactly you want from me," she said straightforwardly.

"I apologize. I don't mean to be ambiguous and confuse you. I didn't want to just blurt everything out as soon as you got here. I didn't want to throw everything at you at once, especially in your condition."

"But isn't that why I came over here tonight, so you could talk to me and explain some things?" she reminded him.

"I'm sorry, you are right," he confirmed. "Do you want me to start the burgers first? I don't want to leave a pregnant woman starving if I can help it."

"Whatever you want to do is fine," Nicole answered by leaving the ball in his court.

"Well, you're the one expecting, so you get to choose when we eat," he said politely.

"I am a little hungry," she admitted, "But I also want to hear what you have to say. I've kind of waited all afternoon."

"Well, how about we move into the kitchen and we can talk while I cook. You can sit at the bar."

"Sounds like a plan," she consented as she arose from the couch and walked into the kitchen with him and sat on a bar stool while he fired up the gas stove that was equipped with its own grill.

"So how do you like your burger cooked, Nicole?"

"Medium-well," she answered.

"And you already told me you like bacon and cheese. Anything else you want on it?"

"Ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and extra onions, please."

"Extra onions, huh?" he said with a raised brow.

"Well, onions are good for the heart and I need all the good I can get right now."

"Then onions it is," he laughed. Xander threw four beef patties on the grill, seasoned them, and then turned around and leaned on the counter in front of where Nicole was sitting.

"So how are you feeling?" Xander asked, wanting to make sure Nicole was doing fine. "Any more cramps or problems I need to know about?"

"No, I feel fine. I'm hanging in there as best I can. I will tell you that I called my doctor today after talking with you and I told her I was planning on going through with the pregnancy. Believe it or not, she wasn't surprised at my decision despite all the odds stacked up against me. She had already started gathering materials and making a strict regimen for me to follow. We didn't get to talk long since she was between emergency C-sections, but she told me to stop by her office tomorrow and she would explain where I need to go from here, as far as what I need to do and what precautions I need to take. I still can't believe I'm doing this."

"WE are doing this," he smiled, placing his hand on top of hers. "Do you mind if I tag along with you tomorrow?" he asked gently not wanting to push too hard too fast.

"Oh, it's not really an appointment. It's just going to be a conversation and to pick up the literature," she said trying to let him off the hook.

"I'd still like to be there, if you don't mind. I want to hear what the doctor has to say and to be there as support for you."

"Sure, if you'd like to come, I don't mind," she smiled fully impressed with his interest in the matter.

"Okay, that settles it then. Just tell me the time and I'll be there," he assured her. "Because we're in this together, you and me, from here on out."

"You know, Xander, I made so many mistakes with my last two pregnancies, all the lies and the betrayals. All of it took such a toll on me. I was running around anxious and so scared all the time. The stress alone, I'm convinced, played a part in what happened as much as my medical condition. That's why I wanted things to be different this time. I hope you know I'm not expecting anything out of this where me and you are concerned, but I'm also going to let you decide on your own how involved you want to be in this pregnancy."

"What would you say if I said I wanted to participate in all of your appointments and take Lamaze class with you, would that be asking too much?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, no, I'd actually feel better having someone there with me. This is your baby too and I don't want to deny you that. If you want to be a part of this baby's life, if I do make it through this pregnancy, I'm not going to try to stop you. I want this baby to know both of its parents, Xander. There's a lot of single parents out there. It doesn't matter if we're together or not. We both need to work together as a unit."

"You mean that?" he sighed heavily listening to Nicole's kind words.

"Yes, I mean that. I'm doing everything different this time. I have to for my baby and for my own sanity."

"But what if" – he took a deep breath in and out – "what if I want more than that?" he said looking at her intensely.

"What do you mean? You mean more time with the baby? Xander, I will be as fair as I can -"

"No, no, that's not what I meant," he said. "I meant" -

"Oh, hold that thought. You might want to flip those burgers behind you. They're smoking pretty good," she suggested.

Xander turned his head and then looked back at Nicole holding up his finger and mouthing the words, "Just one second," and then walked over to the grill and flipped the burgers and then casually walked back over to the counter.

"So you were saying?" Nicole said, wanting to pick up on that last comment by Xander.

"I was saying that – I mean, what if I were to say – God, you make me so nervous when you look at me like that," Xander admitted as he stood up from the counter and threw his hands on the back of his head, intertwining his fingers tightly, and then inhaling in and out.

"Like what?" she asked him, unsure of what he was referring to.

"Like you're hanging on my every word," he replied and then leaned his elbows down on the counter as he looked right at her. "I just don't want this to come out wrong or to say the wrong thing to you and you go running the other direction."

"Just tell me the truth. That's always a good place to start," she told him calmly.

"What I'm trying to say is...I want more than just time with the baby. What if I told you I want alone time with its mother too? Would she be amenable to that?" he asked in the third person.

"What exactly are you saying, Xander?"

"I'm saying I'm sorry for how badly things ended between us. I'm saying I miss you, Nicole. When I was away, I hardly slept. I couldn't concentrate on work. All I could think about was getting home to you," he said anxiously.

"I find that hard to believe when you never even once tried to contact me, not once, while you were gone. Why are you saying this now?" she said feeling skeptical and confused. "Is it because I'm pregnant?"

"No, of course not. I've felt this way since the day I left you."

"Then why the hell did you leave?" she yelled.

"God, I didn't want to. I picked up the phone every day to call you, Nicole, but I couldn't."

"You're not making any sense, Xander."

"I'm going to tell you everything, and, after I'm done, I really need you to forgive me," he begged. "Can you promise me that?"

"I can't promise you anything right now until you tell me the truth," she said shaking her head. "Do you want me to forgive you for leaving just like that; is that what you want?"

"It's not just the leaving but it's lying to you about why I left in the first place," he said full of angst and shame.

"Lying? What are you talking about?"

"I didn't call you or try to contact you because my Uncle Victor wouldn't allow it."

"What do you mean he wouldn't allow it? What does Victor have to do with this?" she demanded to know.

"Everything," he exhaled angrily. "He's the reason I left, why I had no other choice but to leave."

"What do you mean no other choice? Are you telling me you didn't want to leave?"

"Of course I didn't want to leave," he expressed with raw and deep-seeded feelings. "I had just got back from the best two days of my life and this all fell into my lap," he said distressed. "I never wanted to walk out on you like that," he expressed genuinely.

"Why not?" she asked still not understanding his true intentions.

"Because I was falling in love with you, Nicole. Don't you know that? Didn't you feel it?" he asked desperately.

She sat quietly for a moment letting those words resonate in her head. "Well, I thought I felt it , but then you left and I didn't know what to think anymore."

"Nicole, I didn't want to leave Salem because that meant leaving you," he said breathlessly. "But my uncle didn't leave me much choice," he explained.

"What exactly did that bastard threaten you with?" she wanted to know.

"You," he replied bluntly.

"Me?" she asked bewildered as smoke filled the kitchen and the smoke alarm promptly went off.

"Damn, I think our burgers are going to be well done. Let me grab these off the stove," he said as he turned around, turned off the burner, and set the burgers to the side.

"Xander, I don't care about eating right now. That can wait. I really need you to tell me the rest of the story right now."

Xander walked around the counter and walked over to where Nicole was sitting. "Let's go back into the living room. I'll tell you the whole story," he said as he held his hand out to help her off of the stool and then escorted her back over to the couch and they sat down.

"First thing you need to know is my grandfather never called to tell me about any job while we were in New York. I didn't even know he was out of the hospital till that morning we went to Titan and saw Philip. So our time in New York and what we shared there was real. There was no hidden agenda. I need you to believe me, Nicole. Do you?"

"Yes, I do believe you," she said, judging from his sincere demeanor.

"Do you remember that little private talk me and Philip had in his office?"

"Yes, the one I wasn't privy to."

"Well, that's when Philip told me Victor was back and wanted control of Titan again and that his first order of business was to fire you."

"I knew it!" she blurted out. "I knew there had to be some reason why he didn't fire me on the spot. It made no sense to me. He would have gotten so much pleasure in my humiliation. So why didn't he fire me?" she sat up in attention.

"Well, I went and confronted him and begged him to reconsider, but you know my Uncle Victor, he wasn't having any of it. I told him I'd do anything he asked as long as he let you keep your job here."

"And he came up with sending his nephew out of the country and never coming back? What kind of sense does that make?"

"To him it made a lot of sense, if he could keep us apart," he admitted.

"What do me and you have to do with anything?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Apparently, to him it meant everything. Once he found out I had an interest in you, he made it unequivocally clear that that wasn't going to happen. When I told him there wasn't anything he could do about it and that he couldn't dictate my personal life, he was quick to convince me otherwise he had all the power."

"Wait, so he only let me stay if you agreed to leave? Why did you agree to that? You know I could have just found another job, Xander, and we could have been together despite what he thought and told him to fuck off. Why on earth did you let him do this to us?"

He threw his head into his chest momentarily and then looked back up at her in frustration. "At first it was about letting you keep the job you earned, Nicole. I knew how much you loved it and how hard you worked. All you could talk about in New York was how happy you were and how you didn't know what you'd do without it. I couldn't let my uncle take that away from you just because he hated you, not when I could do something about it."

"But I still don't understand. Why didn't you just tell me that so we could discuss it? Why did you unilaterally make that decision to up and leave on your own? You know I don't take orders from Victor and neither should you."

"I gave into his demands because he threatened your life, Nicole. He made it clear if I didn't stay away from you, cease all contact with you, that something bad would happen to you, and I couldn't risk that. I wasn't going to be selfish and think about myself. You were the only thing I could think about."

"That interfering, nosy, old son of a bitch! If he wasn't on death's bed, I'd kill him myself. He just can't let anything go, can he?" she said very agitated and getting all worked up.

"Calm down. I don't want you to get upset, okay?" he said as he placed his hand on her thigh. "It not good for you or the baby."

"Xander, why on earth would you think this job was more important to me than you in the first place?"

"I don't know. I just saw how happy it made you," he answered not too sure of the reason anymore. "We were so new in our relationship and I didn't want to assume anything with you. I was finally getting you to come around and let me in. I just didn't want to be the reason you lost your job. I couldn't live with that."

"First, it wouldn't have been your fault. It would have been Victor's. I would never hold that against you."

"Even if he was going to give me your job and title?" he told her.

"Wow, he thought of every way to stick it to me, didn't he?" she kind of laughed it off. "Look, yes, I love my job and I'm damn good at it, but it's JUST a job. There's other jobs out there," she said clearly. "It would have been Titan's loss."

"You got that right," he smiled in agreement.

"But you have to know, don't you, that I never wanted you to leave. I know I pretended not to care that much when you came by my apartment, but I was heartbroken when you left. That's my excuse. I just didn't know how to handle it so I acted like what we had wasn't as meaningful to me as it really was because I thought you didn't care."

"Nothing could be further from the truth. I just didn't want something that important taken from you for no reason at all if I could stop it."

"But that's just it, something important was taken from me; do you understand that?" Nicole expressed with clear emotion. "You should have come to me and we could have fought Victor together. I certainly wouldn't have let you leave," she admitted. "I mean, didn't you know...(inhales and exhales loudly)...didn't you know in your heart that I was falling in love with you too? You leaving when you did nearly broke me," Nicole said tearfully.

"I hoped and I dreamt you had the same feelings as I did, Nicole," he expressed breathlessly. "You have to know that leaving you broke me in a way I never want to experience again. I'm so sorry I ever made you feel unwanted or unloved. Every day I was gone all I thought about was how I might one day find my way back here and convince you to give this schmuck another chance."

"Is that what you're doing right now, asking me for another chance?" she asked while tears fell from her eyes.

"Yes, if you could only find some way to forgive me for lying to you. Even if I had the best intentions, I know I was wrong. Do you think we could start over again? Is that even possible? Please tell me it is," he pleaded.

"Anything is possible," she said as her voice cracked.

"Nicole, my uncle can never come between us again."

"Are you sure about that?" she said in a skeptical tone.

"I made sure of that," he answered bluntly and with no apologies.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"I just mean Victor isn't coming out of the coma. I talked with Philip and Brady this morning and they've decided to take him off the ventilator the day after tomorrow. He'll never interfere with us again. He's dead to me now."

"How do you feel about that?" she asked.

"I have mixed emotions, but it's better this way. I wish things could have been different between us, but he crossed the line when he involved you."

"So there's no one to come between us if we decide to work things out; is that what you mean?"

"I hope it means you'll forgive me and we can pick up where we left off," he said looking for her reaction.

"Done and done, you schmuck," she smirked and he smiled back in utter relief.

"You mean that?" he asked for clarification.

"Yes, I mean that," she nodded her head up and down. "What you did was misguided but your heart was in the right place, I know that," she said as she placed her hand on his cheek to show him she meant it. "And how can I fault you for wanting to keep me safe?"

"God, I've missed you so much," he said lovingly and then leaned in and softly planted a kiss on her forehead, lingering there to catch the scent of her sweet, perfumed skin. "If you only knew how damn much," he whispered as his breathing grew heavier and more deliberate and he leaned in and gently kissed her nose, then her cheek, and then moved slowly down to her mouth to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

Nicole felt the electricity rush through her and realized nothing had changed. "I missed you too -" Nicole whispered - "just as much." Then she followed his lead and tenderly kissed the side of his neck, followed by his chin, and then breathlessly kissed his mouth very gently, taking the time to taste his lips.

Xander's tongue found its way into Nicole's mouth and he kissed her in such a way that both of them fell backward into the cushions of the couch wrapped up in each other's arms. Nicole felt it in her knees and in her toes and her heart was beating out of her chest as he caressed her face so softly while his soft, deep, sensual kisses made her whole body tingle all over. The six weeks that they were apart was more than evidenced in the kiss they were sharing because both of them felt the immediate impact it had on them as they were catching up on the time they missed together.

"Is this going to be okay?" Xander asked while kissing Nicole's neck.

"What, you kissing me?" she responded as she continued to make out with him.

"No...me making love to you," he replied as his hands found their way up the back of her sweater. "Because I really need to be with you right now, Nicole, in every way."

"I need you too," she whispered as she felt her heart pounding from the frenzy he managed to put her body in.

"Do you want to call your doctor and ask if it's safe?" he suggested as he continued his passionate sweep of her neck with his tongue.

"Damn it," she said exasperated. "I guess I should, huh?" she uttered breathlessly in the midst of his hand managing to tug at the back of her bra.

"Don't move," Nicole suddenly reached to the floor to grab her phone out of her purse, searching frantically for her doctor's cell number she had on speed dial.

(Phone ringing)

Dr. Stephens: "Hello?"

Nicole: "Oh, thank God you're home."

Dr. Stephens: "Nicole, what's wrong?"

Nicole: "Nothing per se really, but I have a very important question I need to ask you and it's imperative you give me the answer I need in my favor right now."

Dr. Stephens: "I will certainly try. What's the question?"

Nicole: "If I - uh, say I found myself in a situation where I could possibly or let's say most probably have sex, is that something that I should avoid because it might hurt the baby in some way?" she said with her fingers crossed.

Dr. Stephens: "Oh, no, sex is not something at this stage in your pregnancy you need to refrain from. You can exercise that activity at your leisure. I would usually suggest refraining closer to the seventh month because I'd want to keep most of your activities to a minimum."

Nicole: "So I'm good until the **seventh month**?" Nicole slowly emphasized the last two words aloud to Xander with a huge grin on her face.

Dr. Stephens: "Yes. I hope that's the answer you were looking for."

Nicole: "You better believe your stethoscope it is. Thank you, Doctor. Sorry to bother you at home."

(Click)

"Looks like you can make love to me all you want," Nicole teased gleefully.

"So do you want to move this to the bedroom?" he asked as his hands immediately found their way up the back of her shirt again so he could undo the clasp on her bra.

"No, I'm fine right here if you are," she exhaled loudly as her body clung to his. "I always wanted to do it on a fine Italian leather sofa," she smirked.

Xander, at that point, got very still as he lay down with Nicole on the couch. He lay partly on her and partly to the side being as careful with her as he could. He gently brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear as he softly rubbed the back of his fingers against her cheek while looking down at her with intense emotion on his face. He felt his heart suddenly skip a thousand beats causing him to inhale and exhale suddenly.

"What are you doing?" Nicole said quietly as she looked up at him still breathless from his touch.

"I'm just looking at you," he whispered as he continued to gaze upon her with no apologies. "Do you know how much I missed this face?" he admitted while admiring every inch of it.

"I missed yours too," she smiled up at him. "Don't disappear on me again, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her.

"You promise?"

He bent down and kissed her lips and remained there nibbling them over and over while sweetly caressing her face. He paused momentarily only to look deeply into her eyes to let her know he was right where he wanted to be.

"I love you, Nicole," he whispered ever so softly but his words were loud and clear and instantly filled her heart with a plethora of emotions she didn't know how to put into words.

Nicole slid her hands under the back of Xander's shirt and ran her fingers along the muscles in his back, tracing every curve and nuance as she felt the enormity of what he had just said to her. She let it sink in slowly and consume her as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his lips softly.

"I feel exactly the same about you," she smiled with tears as he looked at her in awe. "I love you, Xander," she said tenderly. "I've never wanted to tell someone that more than I've wanted to tell you," she admitted.

Xander leaned down and claimed Nicole's lips with a burning desire inside of him. His tongue found hers almost immediately as he kissed her deeply and passionately making up for all the lost time they endured. His hand found the back of her neck and his fingers were running through her hair as he continued to show her just how much he'd missed her. The way he kissed her had a sexual urgency attached to it, but he demonstrated it in a sweet-tempered manner expressing his love and passion with a sense of tenderness. All Nicole knew was that whatever he was doing, it sent every nerve in her body on a mind-tingling rollercoaster ride that she didn't want to come to an end.

"I love the way you kiss me," she managed to say in the throws of her passionate encounter.

"I. love. kissing. you," he whispered slowly and seductively as he removed her sweater, then she removed his. He unzipped her boots and slid them off one by one as she watched intently and he smiled down at her. They then moved to their pants, him sliding hers off and her helping him to slide his off until they were completely naked. Their naked bodies were intertwined in such a way that they could feel every inch of their skin against their pulsating bodies as Xander slid the full length of himself deeply inside of Nicole.

"Jesus," Nicole yelled out as she began to moan loudly as he starting moving in and out of her at slow, steady pace.

As he continued to push deep inside of her, you could hear a low moan rumbling from the back of Xander's throat expressing his obvious pleasure.

"Hey," he said softly as he looked down at her with pure and utter love. Nicole responded to his voice by opening her eyes to see him looking down at her.

"You're beautiful," Xander said breathlessly as he kept his pace up and Nicole started to moan loudly, turning him on even more. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, muffling Nicole's loud moans.

His mouth found its way to her neck as she closed her eyes and she threw her head to the side giving him full access while she dug her fingers into his back causing him to let out a low moan against her neck.

"How does that feel?" he said seductively while breathing in her ear and easing up on his pace so he could feel every inch of himself slowly fill her up over and over again.

"I don't think I can talk right now," she expressed fully out of breath as he continued to move inside her, her body quivering all over with satisfaction.

Nicole's body and mind had had all the gratification it could sustain in one setting. Her wet walls began to throb with pleasure and her body slowly started to shake from the level of arousal that had been placed upon it. She felt the overwhelming tingling sensation begin to build at a steady climb inside of her.

"Please don't stop," she yelled out in pleasure.

"Mmm, I love it when you say that," he mumbled into her mouth while still kissing her, his tongue rolling in perfect rhythm with hers.

Nicole's pleas had Xander more excited as he kept moving in and out of her with slow but constant thrusts, patiently waiting for her to reach the point of her orgasm.

"Oh, God, Xander!" she screamed out in ecstasy one last time, and within seconds her body finally felt the full release of the unyielding sexual sensation that had been building up to the point of the inevitable explosion.

Nicole wrapped herself into Xander's arms, completely exhausted and happier than ever.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear as she closed her eyes.

"I love you too," he whispered back, kissing her forehead a few times.

"Xander?" Nicole called out after a few minutes of tired silence.

"Yes, my love?" he answered softly.

"Do you think I can have my cheeseburger now?" she mumbled off still have awake.

"Of course you can," he laughed. "Stay right here."

Xander ran into the kitchen still naked and made up her burger exactly how she wanted it and then threw together one for himself and brought them over to the couch and presented them to Nicole.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I want the burger or the naked man holding it," Nicole teased giving the burger and then Xander the once over.

"Well, it's your lucky day, ma'am, because I'm willing to give you both," he smirked.


	16. The Winding Road to Happiness, Part 1

Months had passed since that November day that Nicole and Xander got back together. They had pretty much spent every waking moment together since. They were as close as two people could possibly be and so obviously in love. They celebrated Thanksgiving together at Xander's apartment. Of course, Nicole let Xander do all the cooking, including the turkey. She wasn't even going to pretend she had any skills in the culinary field. It was their first big holiday as a couple and they made the most of it.

For Christmas Eve, they got invited to the Kiriakis mansion by Philip and Brady, and they decided it was time to share their happy pregnancy news with them. She was three months along then and her and Xander felt it was time to let his family in on their little miracle despite the odds stacked against them. Xander thought a healthy support system would do Nicole good, especially if Xander got called away on business. And it was obvious, the Kiriakis men all had a fondness for Nicole.

Then came New Year's Eve, 2015. Xander took Nicole to a new French restaurant in town and after a celebratory dinner, very light dancing, they toasted the New Year on the restaurant's covered balcony overlooking the Salem River. And just as the countdown came to a close – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – they toasted the New Year with sparkling water and a proposal. No, not the kind you're thinking. Xander presented Nicole a key to his apartment and proposed that she move in with him. She gladly and ecstatically accepted and sealed it with a passionate kiss, and they've been living together in domesticated bliss ever since.

The pregnancy was going as well as could be expected. Despite some really bad episodes of morning sickness and bouts with elevated blood pressure, Nicole managed to avoid any major complications by following the doctor's instructions to a T. Xander was there every step of the way, taking her to every appointment, guaranteeing she ate healthy and regularly and consumed plenty of water, checking that she got enough rest and was taking her prenatal vitamins, all to ensure that she didn't encounter an ounce of stress and could progress without any major setbacks. She continued to work at Titan up to her six month part-time but then Xander suggested, insisted really, that she work at home if she really needed to, but, if so, he wanted her in a recliner with her feet up. Evenings consisted of foot massages, hand massages, and rubbing lotion on her belly because Nicole was trying to avoid those dreaded stretch marks if at all possible, and reading or singing to the baby before they went to sleep.

The day Nicole and Xander found out the sex of their baby was during her fourth month and it will always be one of their happiest memories.

 **(Flashback to Ultrasound: Four Months Pregnant)**

 _Dr. Stephens: "Well, Nicole, you've made it to through your first trimester with no major issues. The baby's heartbeat is strong and you're beating the odds every day. I can't say I'm surprised since your will and strength alone could carry you through anything. I'm very optimistic with your prognosis if you keep taking care of yourself as you have been and you don't overdo it unnecessarily."_

 _Xander: "I've got all that handled," he said as he turned to wink at Nicole. "She's being taken care of adequately."_

 _Nicole: "More than adequately, I assure you," she smiled at her doctor._

 _Dr. Stephens: "I wish all patients were as compliant as you are," she grinned proudly. "Oh, here we are," she said as she moved the probe along Nicole's tummy. "If you look right here, you can see your baby," she indicated on the monitor._

 _Nicole: "Oh, my God, Xander, there's our baby," she gasped with excitement._

 _Xander: (Holding her hand as they look at the monitor together) "Our baby is a fighter, Nicole, just like you are."_

 _Nicole: "And he or she is going to be strong just like its daddy," she returned the compliment._

 _Dr. Stephens: "Well, would you like to know the sex of the baby why you're here?"_

 _Nicole: "Oh, wow, do we wanna know?" she asked conflicted as she looked at Xander for his opinion._

 _Xander: "Maybe...yes...or whatever you want to do is fine by me," he replied leaving it up to her._

 _Nicole: "I think it would be nice to know what color to paint the baby's room, don't you think?"_

 _Xander: "That's reason enough to know right there," he laughed, "not to mention we could get a head start on baby names."_

 _Nicole: "Okay, okay, you convinced me." She took a deep breath in and released it. "Yes, Dr. Stephens, give it to me. Am I having a boy or a girl?" she asked then closed her eyes tightly shut to focus on the words she was about to hear._

 _Dr. Stephens: "Well, think pink walls," she hinted._

 _Nicole gasped with enthusiasm while Xander sat quiet and his eyes grew glassy._

 _Xander: "A daughter? I'm having a little girl?"_

 _Dr. Stephens: "Congratulations," the doctor smiled._

 _Nicole: "Xander, we're having our own little girl, a precious baby girl," Nicole said teary-eyed and emotional._

 _Xander: "I love you so much, do you know that?" he expressed with happiness by kissing her lips softly while embracing her._

 _Nicole: "I do. And I love you, too."_

* * *

 **(Saturday, July 2, 2016, Around Noon.)**

 **(Due Date: July 7, 2016)**

Nicole had again slept in till noon, which was becoming her recent routine being this close to her due date. Xander's morning routine consisted of getting up at 5 am and running for five miles while he let his sleeping beauty lie. Nicole finally began to stir from her 14 hours of sleep and rolled over and placed her hand on Xander's side of the bed hoping she'd find he snuck back into bed with her. No luck. All she found was the indention of his body on the mattress where he once was and a note sitting on his pillow.

 _"I made you some brunch, beautiful. I'll be back soon. X"_

Nicole sat up in bed and looked over on the bedside table and a tray full of goodies awaited her hungry belly.

(15 minutes later.)

(Front door of the apartment opens and closes.)

"There you are," Nicole said in a lively tone.

"What, were you looking for me?" he asked.

"Well, I woke up and you weren't here. Where'd you go?" Nicole inquired as Xander walked over to her.

"I had a little errand to attend to. Why? Did you miss me," he grinned widely.

"Maybe just a little," she grinned back.

"So how long have you been awake?" he inquired.

"Long enough to eat that delicious tray of food you left for me," she grinned with delight. "Thanks, sweetie. You're so good to me."

"My pleasure," he smiled as he leaned down and gave Nicole a peck on the lips and then walked around to his side of the bed. "Oh, and I see you've been a very good girl this morning. You've almost eaten all of the fruit I put on the plate too," he voiced his approval as he sat down next to her on the bed and leaned against the headboard.

"I couldn't help myself. I'm literally starving 24/7," she said as she picked up the last strawberry on the plate and popped it in her mouth.

"So besides being hungry, how's your back feeling today, any better?" he asked while stretching out his right hand and sliding it between the pillow and her lower back and then he began massaging her back gently.

"Mmm, that feels great," she said as she leaned up a little allowing his hand access to do its job.

"Is that helping?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," she answered as she closed her eyes. "It's so stiff all the time, but I guess that comes with the territory."

Xander abruptly removed his hand from Nicole's back. "Okay, come here," he motioned for her to come sit between his legs in front of him.

"How do you expect me to get over there, roll?" she teased.

"Lean forward and turn your back to me. I'm going to slide you over to me very slowly," he responded. Nicole did as she was asked and he grabbed her under her arms and slid her between his legs facing away from him.

"Now sit up for me," he directed her again and she complied. "Let's try this with two hands."

Xander placed his hands on her waist and his thumbs were pressing into her lower back as he began to knead into her back moving his thumbs in circular motions.

"How is that?" he asked her as he laid his chin on her shoulder while he continued to rub.

"It feels heavenly," Nicole said breathlessly.

"Well, I can't have the mother of my child uncomfortable if I can help it," he whispered sweetly in her ear.

"In that case, when you're done with the back, can you do my neck too?"

Xander didn't hesitate. Instead, he moved his hands up to her shoulders and Nicole's whole body tingled from the inside out as soon as he pressed down on her skin.

"There's no time like the present," he commented as his fingers began caressing her neck.

"Have I ever told you I love your hands?" she said as they worked wonders on her sore body.

"A time or two," he answered softly.

"Well, I'm telling you again, because I wanna give credit where credit is due," she told him as she turned her head to the side and kissed him on his cheek that he left accessible for her.

"And I love your neck," he purred as he planted a few soft kisses on it.

"I swear, when I have this baby and I'm medically clear, we are going to lock ourselves in this room and have sex all...day...long," Nicole made perfectly clear.

"Are we now?" he said still breathing on her neck as he kissed it.

"I've missed being with you these last couple of months," she exhaled loudly feeling the full effect of Xander's kisses. "I know the doctor said it's for the -"

"I've missed you too, Nicole," he interrupted her and then reached up and grabbed her chin and turned her face toward him so he could put his mouth on hers. Nicole leaned her back into his chest for support and she softly moaned with satisfaction when she felt his tongue find hers.

"Ouch," Nicole said suddenly as she broke free from the kiss.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" Xander asked in a very concerned tone.

"Yes, I'm fine, but it seems our baby is really feisty this morning just like her daddy is. She's really doing somersaults in there."

"That's my little girl. The feistier the better, just like you," he said as he tenderly kissed the top of her shoulder.

"So you think you can handle two of me running around here, huh?" she inquired as she turned her head to look at him.

"You bet," he quickly answered her. "My daughter is going to know how to take care of herself just like her mommy."

"Or she'll have you to protect her, just like me," Nicole said with a sincere smile.

"Damn straight. And no dating till she's 30, that's a given," he joked but was completely serious.

"I think she was kicking me all night because she's ready to come out and meet her daddy," Nicole mentioned.

"Feisty and intelligent," he teased. "I'm not at all surprised."

"I can't believe we've made it this far and in a few short days we finally get to meet her. I can't wait, Xander."

"Me neither," he replied as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and put his hands on her stomach and began to move them over her rounded belly. She in turn rested her head against his upper chest and they sat there in silence for a while just enjoying the pure magic of that moment.

"Why am I hungry again? " she spoke up after a few minutes. "I'm gaining more than baby weight at this point. I feel bloated everywhere. Look at my fat ankles," Nicole shrieked as she looked down at her feet.

"I love your fat ankles," Xander said jokingly as he turned slightly to his left to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'm so ready to have this baby so I can stop eating like a horse."

"Nicole, you're the sexiest pregnant woman I have ever seen," he said as he continued to rub her bulging belly.

"You have to say that because I live here and you have to keep me happy."

"You are so damn adorable, Nicole. Don't you know there's nothing more satisfying than seeing you pregnant with our little girl and watching how attentive you are with her already? I mean, you read to her; you sing to her. Hell, you have the cutest conversations with her when you don't even know I'm listening. You amaze me every day with how you're already the most caring mother to our child and we haven't even met her yet. And I'm not just saying that to stay on your good side through all your hormonal – whatever you call it."

"Outbursts, episodes, rampages. You name it, I've done it," she said filling in the blanks.

"Yeah, those. But, Nicole, I mean every word of what I'm saying to you," he spoke sincerely as he reached his head around to look at her and she turned her head back toward his. "My God, just look at you. I've never seen anyone more happy. How can that not be beautiful? Admit it, through all your misery, sleepless nights, and hunger pains, you are the happiest woman in the world."

"I am the happiest woman in the world," she agreed.

"And I fall in love with you more every day because of it," he said getting choked up a bit.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" she kissed his mouth with all the love she had to give.

"You gave me a second chance," he admitted wholeheartedly.

"Thank God for that!" she exclaimed. "You've been nothing but the most supportive boyfriend in the world to me. You know I couldn't have done this without you. All those doctor appointments, all those nights rubbing my feet, cooking me dinner, fetching me the remote, putting up with my mood swings. I mean, you even held my hair out of my face while I went through those months of morning sickness. And not once did you ever complain about any of it. I know now that you have made all of the difference this time around. I'm having this baby, our baby, because you were with my every step of the way," she said as tears rolled down her face.

"So are these happy tears?" he said wiping the tears from her face.

"Yes, most definitely happy tears," she smiled lovingly up at him as he leaned in and kissed her forehead gently.

"Do you know how much I adore you?" he whispered, his lips still pressed to her forehead.

"I do," she said quietly and then tilted her head back to look at him. "I love you, Xander. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You know that, right?" she replied softly as he accepted her sweet kiss.

"I do," he repeated her sentiment.

"Xander?"

"Uh-huh?" he mumbled in response.

"Is it too early for a bacon cheeseburger?"

"Well, no, but remember we're going to the mansion in less than two hours for that Pre-Fourth of July shindig that Philip and Brady invited us to, remember? You can eat all the cheeseburgers you want then."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that. I bet there will be baby back ribs and barbecue chicken too," she said as her mind wandered to her favorite subject: food.

"Most likely," he laughed quietly as he shook his head at her.

"What?" she responded. "I have to to get my fill on all this stuff now because this girl is going on a strict diet after Micaela is born."

"You love saying that name, don't you?" he smirked.

"It's perfect. This baby is a blessing, a gift from God, and I've never been religious by any means, but I prayed to God for this miracle and I wanted to pick a name that symbolizes the gift that's been given to us."

"There you go, glowing on me again," he commented with a huge grin as he admired her.

"I can't help it, Xander. I'm going to be a mother," her loving smile lit up the room. "It's finally happening for me. And I've got you in my life and you love me. What else could I ask for?"

Xander looked at her with nothing but true love in his eyes. He got caught in the moment and began to ramble off what his mind was screaming to ask her. "Nicole," he exhaled nervously, "there is something I need to ask you and I can't wait any longer -"

(Knock at the front door.)

"Did you hear someone knocking on the door?" Nicole asked, interrupting Xander.

"Yes, I think I did. And they're right on time," Xander sighed in relief because deep down he knew he just got stopped from doing something in the spur of the moment he shouldn't have because he had already a well-thought-out romantic plan in place for that very moment.

"Who's right on time?" Nicole asked, looking at him curiously.

"Remember that little errand I had this morning?" he reminded her as he picked up Nicole easily with his hands and slid her back over to her side of the bed. "Just something I arranged to have delivered today."

"What is it?" she demanded to know. "What else can we fit into this apartment with all the baby stuff and all those gifts from the shower that are still in the boxes?"

"You'll soon find out," he winked at her as he sprung from the bed.

"You're lucky you have a three-bedroom apartment," she added, "or we'd have to move."

"Now wait right here. I'll be right back," he insisted as he walked out of the bedroom.

"You're spoiling me!" she yelled out to him as he disappeared from view. _And I love every minute of it._

A couple of minutes passed and Xander called out from beyond the door. "Close your eyes, Nicole. I'm coming in."

"Okay, they're closed," she answered and then pressed her eyes closed.

Xander walked over to the bed and sat down next to Nicole. "Okay, Nicole, you can open your eyes."

Nicole flung her eyes open and within a matter of a second they grew wide and focused on the object in front of her. Immediately she let out a high-pitched squeal as loud as her pregnant body would allow and all she could manage to chant over and over was "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!"

Xander couldn't contain his smile while watching Nicole's priceless reaction. On his knee sat a 9-wk old black and tan Yorkshire terrier with a little pink bow in its hair looking up at Nicole with the cutest little impression on its face to match the one Nicole had. At that moment, the pup tilted its little head to one side to greet her and then yelped a couple of times, letting Nicole know it was ready to be picked up.

"You got me a puppy?" Nicole said as she scooped up the little pup in her arms and lifted it up to her face, rubbing her nose against the puppy's nose. "Look at you. Aren't you just the cutest little thing I've ever seen? Yes, you are," she spoke in baby talk that all puppies understand.

"Second cutest," Xander cut in.

"Xander, I can't believe you did this," she said reaching over grabbing Xander's face and pulling him into a kiss. "I love her already."

"I remembered how much you missed your dog and the bond you shared, so I thought this little girl would be a great addition to our family."

"I can't believe you remembered about my dog. I told you that so long ago."

"I've got a photographic memory when it comes to you," he smiled.

"So what should we name her?" Nicole asked excitedly.

"I was gonna leave that up to you," he replied.

"I think I'm just gonna call her Pinkie for now, because she's got that little pink bow," Nicole commented as she began to talk all babyish again. "Hi there, Pinkie. You like that name, don't you? Yes, you do like that name. Aren't you just a sweet precious girl, yes you are," she continued to speak in baby talk as Xander just sat there smiling. "Wait till my other little girl meets you."

(Incoming Call.)

Xander: "Hello?"

Philip: "Hey, are you and Nicole still coming over around 2:00?"

Xander: "That's the plan, if I can get Nicole out of this bed."

Philip: "Well, tell her there will be plenty of food and desserts, that will get her moving."

"Phil said if you don't hurry, all the food will be gone," Xander said to Nicole while covering the phone with his hand.

"Tell him we'll be there within the hour," Nicole replied as she sprung from the bed like a 9-month pregnant woman would, very carefully and slowly.

(Back to call)

Xander: "Philip, we may be a little late but we'll be there soon. Do you need me to pick anything up on my way?" Xander said as he held up a finger to Nicole to let her know he'd be right back and then he exited the room.

Philip: "Matter of fact, Brady just called and he's stuck in traffic and he was supposed to pick up the fireworks. Do you mind running by the Firecracker Shop and picking up our order since it's on your side of town?"

Xander: "No problem at all. And did you pick up that other little package for me?"

Philip: "Yes, that's all taken care of."

Xander: "I owe you. I just knew if I tried to hide it here, Nicole's curious nature and her little sticky fingers would have found it. She's a bloodhound, I tell you."

Philip: (laughing) "So are you still doing to propose tonight during the fireworks?"

Xander: "That's my plan, but, Christ, she is making it so hard for me to wait. I almost proposed to her already this morning."

Philip: "Hang in there, cousin. It won't be long now."

Xander: "Speaking of waiting a long time, when are you going to do something about Chloe? You know you're still in love with her the way you bring her up in almost every conversation. Take it from me, don't waste precious time when you can be with the one you love in the present tense."

Philip: "Funny you should say that. She called and told me the other day that she was coming into town because she had something important to tell me, so I invited her to the party. I guess if I'm going to make my move, tonight's the night."

Xander: "Well, take it from a guy like me, when you find the right one, there's no time like the present."

(click)

"Xander, what time is it?" Nicole yelled out from the bathroom.

"It's almost 1:30," he yelled back to her as he approached the bathroom.

"Nicole?" Xander said as he popped his head into the bathroom and a steady stream of hot steam escaped into the hallway.

"Yes, honey?" she answered.

"Philip asked me to pick up some fireworks he ordered for the party this afternoon. I thought I'd go swing by there now to save some time and just come back to get you."

"Oh, okay. I'll be out of here in a jiffy."

"Take your time. I love you."

"I love you too," she replied by pulling the curtain open and blowing him a kiss goodbye.

Nicole was dressed in a long flowing sundress that just fit over her expanding belly like a glove and a pair of flip flops, partly for comfort and mostly because none of her other shoes would fit over her swollen ankles. She threw her hair, now hanging a few inches past her shoulders, into a pony tail to save time and went into the living room to wait for Xander.

"Oh, it's 1:50, not too bad. Took me only 20 minutes to get ready. That must be record time for me. Xander will be so proud."

(Knock on the door.)

"Xander, the door is open," Nicole called out from the couch.

(Nothing happened for a few seconds.)

"Xander, is that you?" Nicole yelled a little louder.

(No response.)

(Knocking on the door persists.)

"Hold your horses. Pregnant ladies can't move so fast," she responded to the knocker as she wobbled to the door and looked out the peep hole and quickly rolled her eyes in disgust.

"What do you want?" she expressed with annoyance as she opened the door to Daniel standing there.

"Wow, you look like you're ready to pop," he smirked while looking at her protruding tummy.

"I don't need your diagnosis, Doctor Dan," she said sarcastically.

"Can I come in?"

"No, you can't come in. Why are you here?" she said in an annoyed way.

"I think you need to let me in," he replied in a sinister tone which made Nicole suddenly feel uneasy.

"Excuse me? I don't 'need' to do anything. Besides, I'm on my way – WE are on our way out. You better leave before Xander sees you," she said, realizing she'd rather not let him think she was alone judging by his strange demeanor.

"Nuh-uh," he said simultaneously shaking his head and waving his finger from side to side in disapproval. "We both know Xander isn't home. I saw him leave a while ago, so I decided to pay you a long-over due visit."

"What, are you watching our apartment? Why are you even here?"

"I'm here for you," he said with a slightly unhinged grin.

"What does that mean? What on earth do you want today of all days?"

A strand of sweat rolled down Daniel's face and as Nicole forced herself to look at him closer, she noticed he was unclean, unshaven, more so than usual, and he appeared like he was coming down off some kind of high because he was definitely jonesing for something judging by his fidgety hands and enlarged pupils.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nicole yelled out with a bewildered expression on her face.

"I need you to come with me, Nicole," he said in an ominous but direct tone.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Daniel. As a matter of fact, Xander should be back any second, so you better leave before he breaks your jaw again."

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up," he uttered very slowly and with a creepy calm about him.

"What did you say to me?" Nicole responded and then took a step back.

Out of nowhere Daniel reached in the back of his pants and pulled out a taser and pointed it at Nicole's belly."

"What the hell are you planning to do with that?" she demanded to know, causing him to hit the switch a couple of times to let her in on the fact he wasn't fooling around.

"I SAID I need you to come with me now. And if you scream, this taser is going to go off straight on your stomach," he said with a mostly psychotic overtone.

"Daniel, why are you doing this?" she tried to stall hoping to God Xander would show up.

"Move now, bitch!" he roared as he grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her out the door.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. You don't have to be so rough."

"We'll see about that," he swiftly responded.

"Please don't hurt my baby. I promise I'll do whatever you say," she pleaded.

"I know you will. Now move your fine little ass."

(Xander's apartment 15 minutes later, 2:10 pm.)

"Nicole, I'm back," Xander called out. "I'm sorry it took me so long. The line was out the door. Are you ready?" he yelled from the living room into the bedroom.

"Come on, I know you're not still in the shower," he said as he walked into the bedroom and noticed the bathroom door was open and Nicole was nowhere to be found.

All of a sudden, little Pinkie ran up to Xander's feet barking playfully. He looked down and then bent down and picked her up and began to pet her on the head. "Hey, girl, do you know where your mommy is?" he asked while looking around. "Where did she go? She wouldn't leave you here alone when she just got you," he said, continuing to have a one-sided conversation with the puppy. "Do you want to help me find her?"

 _Where could she be? Her car is still here._

(Xander dials Nicole's cell number.)

(A muffled ring is heard ringing somewhere inside the apartment.)

Xander followed the sound until he reached the couch and noticed Nicole's purse laying there against the arm of it. When he opened it up, the sound of the ringing got louder and he reached in and pulled out her cell phone. He simultaneously felt a pit in his stomach beginning to form but he didn't want to completely overreact just yet. Maybe she was at a neighbor's and would be right back, he thought, but why would she leave her phone knowing he was coming right back to get her? He walked over to a few of the neighbors and either no one was at home or she hadn't been by there. Now he was beginning to worry.

(Outgoing call to Philip.)

"Xander, it's after 2:00, where are y'all at?" Philip asked as soon as he picked up his phone.

"Philip, listen to me, have you heard from Nicole at all?"

"No, I haven't. I thought she was with you."

"She was, but I ran down to pick up the fireworks and when I got back she was gone, but her car and phone are here. I'm starting to get a little worried."

"Calm down, Xander. You know Nicole, she's unpredictable and she can't get very far on foot in her condition."

"That's why I'm worried. I've checked with the neighbors and she's nowhere," he said very uneasy. "It's like she just vanished."

"Hold on a second. Brady finally got here. Let me ask him if he's heard from her."

(Low voices heard in the background.)

"Xander, is there any reason at all that Nicole would be with Daniel?"

"Daniel? No, of course not. Last I heard he resigned from the hospital and no one has seen much of him. Why are you asking me about Daniel?" he asked suddenly suspicious.

"I don't want to alarm you, but Brady just told me he swears he just saw Daniel and Nicole driving by him in the opposite direction on Highway 90 when he was stuck in traffic. He thought it was strange, but he didn't think anything of it at the time."

"When the hell was this?" Xander demanded to know.

"He said not more than five to ten minutes ago."

"Philip, call the police right now and report a kidnapping. I got to go after them."

"Listen to me, Xander. Brady said he saw them close by here. I'm going to go jump in my car, head east, and try to catch up with them myself."

"Okay, I'm leaving here now and heading that way. And, Philip, if you find Daniel, don't lay a hand on him. Leave that fucker to me because this time I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

"I understand, but don't drive off half-cocked. We still don't know the whole story. Nicole needs you in one piece, okay?" Philip said trying to calm Xander down. "I'll call you as soon as I find out anything, okay?"

(click)

(Daniel's car)

"Daniel, where are you taking me?" Nicole demanded to know, but Daniel sat in silence looking only at the road in front of him.

"Damn it, say something," Nicole asked now scared out of her mind. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you're mine, Nicole."

"I'm not yours, Daniel. I'm with Xander now. You know that," she tried to explain.

"If I can't have you, no one will," he rambled off like a deranged person as plain as day, which felt even more threatening.

"What the hell are you going to do?" she screamed out .

"You'll see," he said with a blank, emotionless face, which was making matters much worse.

"Come on, talk to me, Daniel. We can work this out," she pleaded, trying to change her approach. "There's no need for you to do anything drastic like hurt me or my baby. You wouldn't do that, right?"

He looked over at her, then down at her stomach, and then back at her with a possessed expression on his face that put her immediately in fear.

"Please, Daniel, I still care about you. Don't you know that?" Nicole cried out trying to say anything to get him to listen including blatant lies.

"You're just saying that to confuse me. I know Xander is the one you want, but he's not going to have you."

"Please, Daniel, I promise you, my baby is all that matters to me. Xander is just my rebound guy. He's got nothing to do with me and you. You're the one I always wanted. Stop the car and let's work this out. Please give us a chance," Nicole cried out in hysterics.

"You've always been a fucking good liar. I might even believe you and those tears if I hadn't watched you with my own eyes. You have no idea, do you?" he said with an evil smirk.

"No idea about what?"

"I've watched you for months with him, laughing, holding hands, kissing in public, going to the movies, out to dinner. Every Saturday afternoon you'd lay your head in his fucking lap on that park bench for hours while you read that stupid book to your unborn baby. I watched you and you didn't even know I was there because you were all into him and that bastard child of yours."

"You were following me?" she said completely taken aback. "This whole time?" she gasped.

"You're damn right I was. I was waiting for the day that you'd lose that baby like you were supposed to, waiting patiently on the sidelines for months while you had your hands all over him and while you let him touch you so freely."

"So this whole time you've been waiting around for me to lose my baby so you could swoop in and pick up the pieces?" she said angrily. "How could you do that?"

"How could you choose him over me, Nicole?" he fought back harshly.

"Daniel, I didn't choose him over you," she voiced her frustration.

"YES, YOU FUCKING DID!" he screamed in reply at the top of his lungs, spit flying everywhere.

"I'm sorry, I really am," she apologized the best she could. "I'll leave him for you if that's what you want."

"It's too late for that. It's too late for me and it's too late for you."

"What are you saying? My God, what are you going to do?" she gasped in utter horror.

"We're going to be together in the afterlife, Nicole. We don't belong here."

"Okay, now you're just speaking crazy talk," Nicole blurted out. "What the hell happened to you? You're a doctor. You're supposed to save people, not try to kill them."

Daniel pressed the gas and accelerated rapidly ignoring Nicole's words. He had now managed to get past the congested traffic in the city limits and had driven almost 10 miles down the two-lane highway toward the rural wooded area of town that consisted of mostly a carved landscape of canyons and cliffs and beautiful dark green forests on the outskirts of town. His speed was now reaching in excess of 70 miles an hour.

"Daniel, what are you doing? Slow the hell down. There's a very sharp curve coming up."

"Precisely," he said with a devilish grin.

"You' can't be serious," she replied.

"Dead. Serious," he emphasized.

"Oh, God, that's what you want, isn't it? You want us to crash, don't you?"

"Ding, ding, ding, give her a prize," he sung out.

"You're actually going to drive us off the cliff?"

"It's better this way, you'll see," he replied, now in almost a trance-like state.

"How can that be better? Please don't punish my baby for what I've done. You're not a murderer, Daniel. You don't have to do this," she begged for her life and that of her unborn baby.

"There's no other way," he said as he raced toward the curve. "We all make choices in life."

"Let me out of this car right now, Daniel," she pleaded one last time.

Daniel ignored her and continued to accelerate approaching the curve. Nicole was out of her mind, tears were streaming down her face as she held onto her stomach with one hand and the dashboard with the other. Her seat belt was fastened securely, the lap belt just sitting below her belly, but it didn't give her any comfort at all with what was ahead. As she scanned the right side of the road, she panicked seeing that it consisted of a steep, rocky canyon that appeared to drop off nearly hundreds of feet to a dark surface below. As she looked to scope out the left side of the road, although the lesser of two evils, she noticed there was no shoulder to speak of. Instead, where the edge of the road ended, there was a significant drop off into a narrow muddy ditch that looked to be 10 to 12-foot wide and seemed to stretch on for miles.

" _We all make choices in life"_ kept ringing in her head over and over almost daring her to make one hard choice of her own.

At this juncture, the circumstances, conditions, and her present companion couldn't be helped, but Nicole was a desperate, hormonal woman who had to take drastic measures to find a way out of this hell in 10 seconds or less or Daniel was going to take her and her baby down with him in a ball of flames and bloody rubble. And despite it all, the one thing that was eating away at the back of her mind was that a worthless asshole creep like Daniel Jonas was going to be the reason she didn't get to be a mother. _Fuck that shit. That's not gonna happen_.

With the mere thought of losing her precious baby so close to her due date again clear and present in her head, she grew dark and livid, so livid and inflamed at Daniel, her trembling body took over and made a drastic but necessary decision on her course of action.

"YOU WON'T HURT MY BABY, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Nicole yelled out just as she grabbed the steering wheel hard, yanking it downward, causing the vehicle to abruptly go off course into the opposite lane of travel.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Daniel yelled out as he pumped the brakes frantically, trying to control the car that was now out of control and skidding. "Get your hands off the wheel! I'm in control here!"

"You psycho, I won't let you hurt my baby!" Nicole screamed while keeping a death grip on the wheel as the vehicle began barreling toward the ditch on the opposite side of the road at a high rate of speed.

At that point in time, it was like time stood still and all you could hear was the eerie sound of a vehicle when it goes airborne for a few seconds and then comes back down and hits hard ground again. A loud crashing boom and the sound of glass shattering filled the vastly wooded surrounding area. A second or two after the initial jolting and crunching sounds of the crash had finally begun to fizzle out, the vehicle's horn began to blow a haunting and steady sound while the car came to rest wedged inside of the deep, narrow ditch.


	17. The Winding Road to Happiness, Part 2

"Shouldn't we have caught up to them by now? We're going 90 miles an hour in this Ferrari," Philip pointed out to his driver, Brady.

"This is the direction they were headed. Except for some random side streets, there's nowhere else for them to have gone. This road stretches on for 100 miles," Brady said. "If they came this way, we'll find them."

As soon as Brady finished his sentence, Philip suddenly yelled out, "Do you hear that? Is that a car horn blowing?"

Brady cracked his window and the sound of a faint horn could be heard in the distance as they both began keeping a closer eye on their surroundings.

"Hold on, wait! Slow down! Slow down! Are those skid marks we just passed on the road?" Philip asked loudly as he turned his head immediately to look out the back window.

"Oh, my God, I think you're right," Brady said using the rear-view mirror to view the dark marks on the road. "Shit!" he shouted as he applied the brakes hard, leaving his own set of skid marks.

"Back up! Back up!" Philip screeched.

Brady threw the car in reverse and hit the gas and the car began barreling backwards at a high rate of speed.

"Holy fuck, is that Daniel's car over there in the ditch?" Philip cursed as the car rode right past it.

"Damn, I think you're right," Brady agreed as he slammed on the brakes, put the car in drive, and drove forward several feet until he stopped and parked the car in the road next to the ditch.

Both filled with an abundance of adrenaline, jumped out almost simultaneously from the car. Philip grabbed his cell from his pocket and began to dial 911 to get an ambulance dispatched while Brady ran over to the wrecked car that was wedged tightly into the narrow ditch.

"Nicole, can you hear me?" Brady called out as he got closer to the edge of the ditch, but his momentum carried him forward, causing him to lose his balance, and clumsily begin sliding down the wall of dirt toward the car below. He managed to use his hands to stop himself from going head first into the side of the car.

"Nicole, answer me. It's me, Brady, are you okay?" he asked full of anguish as he peered through the window.

"The ambulance is on the way," Philip called down to Brady.

"Philip, can you find me something to break the passenger window? I can't get the door open. It's wedged in too close to the side of the ditch."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Philip responded quickly.

"Wait," Brady shouted. "You better call Xander and get him out here now," Brady directed him with a not so positive undertone.

"I will," Philip agreed as he ran over to the trunk of the car and began to look for any type of metal instrument as he dialed Xander's number.

(Outgoing call)

"Philip, did you find Nicole?" Xander frantically asked when he answered the phone.

"Yes, we found her," Philip said, "But there's -"

"Thank God. Where are you?" he quickly asked.

"We're about 10 to 12 miles down Highway 90 headed out of town near the old windmill. But, Xander, I need to –"

"I"ll be there in about five minutes," he replied, cutting Philip off again. "I'm already heading that way."

"Listen to me, Xander, there's been an accident."

(Silence for a few seconds.)

"Xander, are you still there?" Philip asked, waiting for a reply.

(A loud distraught sigh was heard over the line.)

"Philip, please tell me Nicole and the baby are all right," Xander pleaded desperately feeling his life was about to be shattered into a million pieces.

"We don't know that yet. Brady is over there trying to get into the car. The doors won't open."

"Are you telling me she's trapped in the car?" he replied feverishly. "It's that bad of an accident?" his voice cracked.

"Xander, the car crashed and it landed in a ditch on the side of the road."

"In a what?" Xander reacted strongly to what he thought he heard.

"It's in a ditch and Nicole is still inside. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. We're in the middle of nowhere, but there's skid marks all over the road. Something caused them to lose control."

"THIS IS DANIEL'S GODDAMN FAULT. I'M GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH IF NICOLE HAS ONE FUCKING MARK ON HER!" Xander raged into the receiver. "He's fucking dead," he mumbled under his breath.

"Listen, I understand what you're saying, but I need you to calm down and just get here safely, but as fast as you can. Nicole is going to need you here for her," he reminded him as he finally put his hands on a tire iron. _Thank God._

"Just please don't let anything happen to her before I get there, Philip. I'm counting on you. I can't lose her," he expressed with deep emotion.

"We're going to do everything we can to get to her. The ambulance is on the way. I got to go help Brady now. I'll see you in a few minutes."

(click)

"Can you see her?" Philip asked when he approached the top of the ditch looking down on Brady who had wedged himself between the side of the ditch and the car.

"Yes, I can see her. She looks to be unconscious but I don't see any obvious wounds or bleeding, which is good. So maybe she just passed out from the shock."

"Here's the tire iron for the window," Philip said as he reached down and handed it to Brady below.

"Can you run around and check on Daniel and stop that damn horn from blowing?" Brady requested strongly.

"Okay," Philip said as he jumped down on the hood of the car and crawled over it to get to the side of Daniel's shattered window.

"He's slumped over the steering wheel and he's bleeding from the head," Philip called over to Brady from the driver's side. "God, he's got blood and glass all over him."

"Is he still alive?" Brady yelled out.

Philip pulled Dan's body slowly off of the steering column and laid him back against his seat gently and checked for a pulse immediately, but judging from the gaping wound on his head, he already knew it was too late.

"He's not breathing, Brady, and he's cold to the touch."

"Well, fuck him then. He's the cause of all of this anyway," he swore bluntly still furious at seeing Nicole there injured and helpless. "I swear to God, if I have to witness Nicole lose another baby after everything she's already been through..."

"Look, we're not gonna let that happen," Philip said plainly. "Are we?" he shot an intense look toward Brady.

"No, we're not," Brady responded with an equally intense impression. "I need to wake her up so she can shield her face when I break this glass." Brady explained.

"Do you need me to come around to that side and help?" Philip asked.

"No, no, there's not enough room. Maybe you should go back onto the road so you can flag down Xander and the ambulance when they get here."

Philip crawled back over the car and up the side of the ditch and got back onto the road. As he looked down into the distance, he could see a vehicle approaching fast. "I see a car in the distance. I can't tell if it's Xander or the ambulance, though."

"Nicole, I know you can hear me. Come on, wake up for me," Brady pleaded. "Your little girl needs you to wake up," he said as he knocked hard on the window and Nicole began to stir a little.

"That's right, open your eyes. You can do it," he urged her on.

Nicole's eyes began fluttering repeatedly and then slowly found their way open. As she looked around at her surroundings and the predicament she found herself in, she started to panic. "What's happening? Where am I?"

"Nicole, you've been in an accident," Brady said calmly but loudly enough to where she could hear him.

"An accident? But how"- she suddenly remembered the frightening events before the crash. "Oh, my god, my baby. No, please, this can't be happening to me."

"Nicole, honey, it's Brady. I'm going to break your window, but I need you to look away. Can you do that?"

"Brady?" she whimpered recognizing his face.

"Cover your face for me, okay? I'm gonna get you out of there, I promise."

Nicole turned away from the window and Brady swiftly raised up the tire iron and in one swift blow broke the passenger side window.

"Brady, please help me. Get me out of here!" she cried out, still not fully conscious. "I want Xander. Where is he?"

Brady reached in and undid her seat belt which was strapped in tightly and trapping her uncomfortably. "He's on his way. He'll be here any minute," he promised her.

"I don't feel so well," she admitted as she slipped back into a state of feeling dazed and confused.

Suddenly a vehicle drove up in an erratic manner and screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. The door quickly flew open and slammed shut.

"Where is she? Where is Nicole?" Xander called out to Philip who he could see standing 15 feet away near the side of the road.

"She's over here, Xander. Brady just broke the window out."

"Where the fuck is Daniel?" Xander demanded to know as he approached. "He didn't get away, did he?"

"No, he's dead," Philip responded. "But he's still in the car."

"He got off lucky, that motherfucker," Xander said shaking his head disappointed he couldn't kill Daniel himself.

When Xander reached the car and witnessed the actual damage, in the speed of light and with the will of a thousand men, he jumped down into the ditch right next to Brady.

"She's been in and out of consciousness," Brady filled Xander in. "We could try to move her, but I think it's best we don't. We don't have the right equipment."

"I'll deal with what we're going to do in a minute. Right now I just need to see her," Xander turned his attention away from Brady and slid down into the ditch a little further until he could put his hands on the passenger's side window frame. When he looked in, he found Nicole leaned back in a partially broken seat, holding her stomach with both hands with broken glass shattered all around her. He nearly broke down right there seeing her so defenseless and in obvious anguish. But he knew Brady was right. As much as he wanted to pull her out of there immediately, he didn't know how injured she really was and he couldn't risk moving her and causing more damage.

"Nicole, it's Xander. I'm here, sweetheart," he spoke softly as he put his head partially through the window. "Can you hear me?"

"Xander?" she replied in tears as she heard his voice and then slightly turned her head toward him. "You're here."

"Yes, I'm here. I'm right here," he reassured her.

"Please help me," she whimpered in obvious discomfort.

"I'm gonna get you out of there," he said feeling completely powerless at the moment. "We just have to wait for the ambulance. They'll be here any minute."

"Our baby," she said as she held onto her stomach. "I can't lose our baby," she wept softly.

"Shh, shh, I'm not gonna let that happen," he assured her. "I won't let that happen."

"I don't want to live if something happens to my baby," she said breaking down hysterically.

"Please don't say that. We're going to get through this like everything else," he told her sincerely. "Don't give up on me now."

Nicole looked over to her left at Daniel unconscious in the seat next to her and then let Xander know in no uncertain terms, "He forced me to go with him, Xander. I didn't want to go with him. You have to believe me."

"I know you didn't, but that doesn't even matter now. You're all that matters."

"He was trying to kill me and the baby," she cried out in disbelief and horror. "I had to do something," she said feeling guilty and full of shame. "I had no choice."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked her delicately but at the same time wanted to understand.

"He was going to drive us off the cliff. He wanted to kill me and the baby. I had to try and stop him, so I grabbed the wheel and we crashed. I'm so sorry, Xander. I didn't know what to do," she broke down even more.

Xander threw his hand into the car and reached over and placed it on her cheek. "Listen to me, Nicole, you did the right thing, the only thing you could."

"So you're not mad at me?" she whispered through her sobs.

"No, I'm not mad at you. How could you even think that?"

"I'm just so scared," she admitted.

"Don't be. I'm right here with you," he said as he grabbed her hand and put it into his. "You're so brave, do you know that?"

"I am?" she smiled sweetly at him through her tears.

"Of course you are," he answered still trying to console her and get her mind off the situation she was currently in.

"I just can't go through this again, not again," she said emotionally drained and then suddenly put her hand across her forehead as she closed her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Xander quickly noticed something was wrong. "Don't close your eyes. You need to stay with me, Nicole."

"I feel a little dizzy," she said as she exhaled sharply.

"Did you hit your head on anything?" he asked desperately worried about her.

"I don't think I did," she replied still a little confused. "I had my seat belt on."

"That's good. Are you hurting anywhere else?" he further probed.

"I'm just a little shaken up and I'm sore all over. It's just so cramped in here. I can't move."

"Try to stay still for me, okay?"

"I'll try," she replied as Xander noticed her wence in pain as she held her stomach.

"What was that? Are you cramping?" Xander asked concerned for the baby.

"Maybe a little, but -"

"But what?" he urgently inquired.

"I don't feel the baby moving, Xander," she tearfully suddenly realized. "Why isn't she moving?" she asked in obvious distress.

"I'm sure she's just sleeping. You know how she is in the afternoons, very quiet," he tried to console her as best he could.

"I know. But I really need her to wake up for me. Why won't she wake up?" she said louder and more fearful, her heart beating out of her chest.

"It's okay. It's okay. Just calm down and take deep long breaths in and out. Can you do that for me? I need you not to freak out on me and just breathe. You're going to be just fine – do you hear me? - and so is our baby."

Nicole listened closely to Xander's voice and began taking deep breaths in and out and her heart rate decreased.

"There you go, much better. Now, we're gonna get you out of here and to a hospital, okay? The ambulance will be here any minute," he said as he turned around and mouthed to Brady, "Where's the FUCKING ambulance?"

"They should have been here by now. I'll call them again," he spoke directly to Xander out of earshot of Nicole.

"Don't let our baby die, please," Nicole pleaded.

"No one is going to die. That's not going to happen. I won't let it, I swear to you," he said directly and completely unaccepting of any other outcome but for him to get Nicole and the baby out of there in one piece.

"I love you so much," Nicole sobbed uncontrollably.

"I love you too," he said full of his own tears.

(Sirens approaching)

 _It's about fucking time._

"See, I told you, there's the ambulance right now. They are going to get you out of here and fix you all up."

"Tell them to hurry, Xander, please."

"I will, but you've got to stay strong for me, okay?"

"Okay," she uttered softly.

Xander flew up out of that ditch like a man with one mission and one mission alone, to get Nicole out of that car as fast as humanly possible. He ran over to the ambulance as two EMTS, one male and one female, were jumping from the back of the vehicle with a backboard, stretcher, and medical kit in tow. He immediately made it abundantly clear to them that they needed to focus on the passenger.

"We'll get her out, sir. Just step back and let us do our job," the man said straightforwardly showing he's dealt with plenty of high-stress situations before.

"She's 9 months pregnant. Please, help her," Xander expressed tearfully.

"We'll do everything we can, I promise you," the lady paramedic responded.

The two EMTs rushed over to Nicole's window and the driver of the ambulance, another paramedic, ran to Daniel's window. The two EMTs assessed Nicole's condition and then placed a cervical collar around her neck to keep it secure during transport. They lifted her up very carefully and used the backboard to slide her out of the passenger's side window and then placed the backboard on the stretcher and rushed her over to the ambulance. Meanwhile, the other paramedic had been checking Daniel who was lying motionless against the seat. He checked for a pulse and could find no heartbeat. He noticed blood oozing out of his left ear and he noted that Daniel appeared to have suffered a blunt force trauma to the head at impact since he was not wearing a seat belt. He immediately paged another ambulance and the medical examiner to the scene and then followed the other two EMTs back to the ambulance as a highway patrol car pulled up to investigate the accident.

"I'm coming with her," Xander demanded.

"Sir, we need room to work -"

"I'm not fucking leaving her," he replied with a threatening enough expression neither paramedic were about to contend with. "So don't even ask me to," he said as he continued to glare at them.

"Okay, but please stay seated so we can assess the patient," the male EMT suggested strongly as Xander immediately jumped into the back of the truck.

"I'll talk to the highway patrolman and then drive your car to the hospital. We'll meet you there as soon as we can. I promise, we'll be right behind you," Philip yelled into the truck right as the doors closed.

"I'm just going to tell her I'm here, okay?" Xander demanded more than he asked as he grabbed Nicole's hand and held it in his.

"I'm right here with you, Nicole. We're going to the hospital and everything is going to be fine," he whispered down to her.

"Sir, we really need to check her vitals. Can you move back, please?" the male EMT requested.

Xander shot him an eat shit look but did as he was told.

"Blood pressure is elevated at 140 over 90," the female EMT noted.

"Ow! Ow!" Nicole suddenly yelled out in obvious distress.

"What's the matter with her?" Xander said frantically.

"Stay back," the male EMT yelled out abruptly.

"Help me, please. It hurts. It hurts," she shouted in pain.

"Ma'am, I need you to breathe in and out very slowly for me," the female EMT said very calmly

Nicole started to breathe in and out like she had learned in Lamaze class with Xander and the pain eventually started to subside.

"You're just having contractions, ma'am. When is your due date?"

"July the 7th."

"Well, I think the baby wants to meets it's mother a few days early. You're doing just fine, but do me a favor and stay relaxed. We're going to give you some oxygen and some intravenous fluids to hydrate you. We'll be at the hospital in about ten minutes, okay, and they can give you something for the pain," the female EMT said keeping Nicole calm.

"Xander?" Nicole called out after the female paramedic put the IV in.

"Yes, I'm right here, Nicole."

"Don't leave me, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Everything is going to be okay," he promised as she closed her eyes and fell under again from pure exhaustion.

(University Hospital, 25 minutes later.)

Xander, Brady, Philip and a slew of Titan employees had gathered in the waiting room while waiting to hear about Nicole's condition.

"I can't believe they wouldn't let me go in there with her," Xander raged. "I need to be in there. She needs me, GODDAMN IT!"

"It's going to all right," Philip put his hand on Xander's shoulder to calm him down. "They said her injuries were not life-threatening. Just hold onto that, okay?"

"But I told her I wouldn't leave her," Xander replied breathlessly.

"Look, they're only taking precautions. She was in a serious car accident. They needed to work on her and assess her with no one getting in the way. They know what they're doing. She's gonna pull through this, her and the baby," Philip explained.

"I can't lose either of them, Philip," Xander said desperately.

"You won't lose them," he tried to reassure him the best he could.

"You don't know that," Xander responded feeling helpless.

"She loves you and this baby more than anything and, believe me, she won't give that up, so don't you give up on her," Philip encouraged him.

"I won't. I won't. just can't live without her, Philip," Xander admitted, his eyes feeling with tears. "She's everything to me. I'm nothing without her."

"She knows that, man, and that's how I know she'll never give up," Philip reminded him. "She's a fighter, born and bred."

"You're damn right she is," a male's voice approached from behind, which caused Xander and Philip to both look in that direction.

At that moment, a tall, dark and handsome biracial man walked up to where they were standing with a concerned look on his face.

"Oh, my God, Brandon, is that you? I almost forgot you were coming," Philip said as he shook his hand.

"Where is she? Where's Nikki?" Brandon demanded to know immediately.

"She's in with the doctors. They haven't told us too much, but they did say her injuries are not life-threatening so it's just a waiting game right now," Philip answered.

"Thank God," Brandon exhaled loudly.

"Wait, you're Nicole's brother, aren't you? I recognize you from her pictures," Xander said, butting in on Brandon and Philip's conversation.

"And you are?" Brandon said with some skepticism.

"Oh, pardon me. I'm Xander, Nicole's – her boyfriend."

"Oh, right. She's told me all about you," Brandon said giving him the not so approving eye.

"Is that good or bad?" Xander delved in further.

"Well, lucky for you, it's been all good. Because if it wasn't, I would have knocked you out the moment I saw you."

"I like you already, a protective brother, the best kind there is. It's great to finally meet you," he held out his hand to offer it to Brandon. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Actually, it's times like these where you can sit back and see what a real man is made of," Brandon commented. "She's had a lot of men run out on her when times got rough."

"Well, I'm madly in love with your sister so I'm not running anywhere but to her," Xander said with enough sincerity that Brandon believed him.

"Good to know," Brandon nodded.

"So how did you know about the accident so quickly?" Xander asked.

"Well, by accident, really. When Nicole told me about the baby, I knew I had to be here for her this time after what she'd gone through, but I wanted to surprise her. She told me last week about this 4th of July party she was going to and I thought that would be the perfect time to come for an extended visit, so I called Philip and let him in on it and he invited me to the party. But when I got over there, no one was there, so the staff filled me in on what happened."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Nicole will be so thrilled to see you. She talks about her brother all the time."

As they sat and waited and paced the halls, another thirty minutes went by before Dr. Stephens finally emerged from the hospital room in full scrubs.

"Dr. Stephens!" Xander yelled out as he sprinted over to her.

"How is she? How's Nicole?" he uttered deliriously.

"Nicole is doing fine now. Her blood pressure and heart rate were elevated but we got that under control. It was most likely due to the stress she endured during the accident and not related to complications with the birth. She did have some internal bleeding that the surgeons had to attend to most likely due to the harsh force of the seat belt, but I will tell you the seat belt probably saved her life. She's stabilized now and she's been given some pain meds. She's going to be very sore for a while and she will need plenty of rest. Looks like you're gonna be on daddy duty for a few days until she recuperates. But for what she's been through today, she was very lucky. She made it out with only some bumps and bruises.

"Wait, what did you say? Can you rewind back?" Xander asked as his head caught up to what his ears were hearing. "Doctor, did you say daddy duty? Are you saying that -"

"I'm saying you have a healthy 7 lbs, 3 ounce beautiful baby girl. She came into this world screaming and kicking and she's got quite the set of lungs on her. She's over in the NICU for observation right now just for precautionary measures due to Nicole's high risk pregnancy and this accident, but I don't expect any further complications. All her vitals appear normal and there's no signs of distress."

"Can I see Nicole now?" he urgently asked, wanting only a yes for an answer.

"They're moving her to her own room now, so give me a few minutes and I'll take you back there. But, remember, she was given pain medication so I'm not sure how awake she'll be."

"That doesn't matter. I just need to be with her," he explained.

"I totally understand. And, congratulations. I've never known a patient like her, with all the adversity and heartbreak she's gone through suffering two painful miscarriages but, yet, still fight so desperately to be a mother despite all of the odds stacked against her. She's an inspiration to me. Your child is really lucky to have her."

"We both are," Xander said with a relieved smile. "Thank you again for everything, Doctor."

Xander turned around and came face to face with a room full of smiling faces.

"Congratulations, man, you're a father," Brady grinned widely, shaking his hand, and then handing him a cigar. "We're going to smoke that later!"

"Yes, we will," Xander agreed.

"I told you Nicole would get through this. She's tougher than nails," Philip joined in on the celebration.

"You've done right by my sister, I can see that," Brandon jumped in. "She finally chose the right guy. I can see how much you love her," Brandon admitted.

"I love her more than any man can love a woman," Xander replied feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

"So when are you going to marry her and make an honest woman out of her?" Brandon blurted out jokingly.

"Oh, my God," Xander gasped. "Philip, the ring. I need the ring."

"What ring?" Brandon asked, suddenly realizing this wasn't a joke anymore.

"It's at the mansion. Do you want me to go get it?" Philip asked.

"Yes. I know this isn't how I planned it, but I can't wait another second to ask her to be my wife. Do you mind?"

"Hell, no, I don't mind. I'll go right now," he said all eager and gung ho.

"Brandon, you're the closest thing to a father Nicole has ever had and I know this is all kinds of last minute, but this can't wait. I have to propose to your sister now, today, this minute, and I'd really love it if you'd give us your blessing," Xander said with the utmost sincerity.

"I'd be honored to give you my blessing," Brandon smiled and began to shake Xander's hand, but instead Xander decided to pull him into a hug.

"Treat her right, man. That's all I ask. She deserves to be happy after all the broken promises and hell she's been put through."

"And she will be happy, I promise you that," Xander guaranteed.

"Mr. Kiriakis?" a female voice called out and Xander turned around and saw Dr. Stephens standing there.

"Are you ready to go see Nicole now?"

"You bet I am," he said with enthusiasm and then turned to Brandon realizing that at that moment he was the only real legitimate member of her family.

"No, no, you go ahead. I'll wait here," Brandon said with a genuine smile.

"Are you sure? You are her brother and -"

"Get out of here. I'm not about to snag your alone time with my sister. She's waited this long to see me. She can wait a few more minutes. Now, go on," he urged him. "I'm gonna grab me something to eat since I didn't get anything at the barbecue."

"Thank you. I'll come back to get you as soon as I can," Xander promised and then walked off with Dr. Stephens.

* * *

"Nicole, can you hear me?" Xander whispered to Nicole as he held her hand while standing next to her bedside. "Open your eyes, sweetheart."

(No movement.)

"I'm here with you, right by your side. Everything is okay. If you hear me, can you squeeze my hand," he requested of her.

After a few seconds, Nicole's hand suddenly squeezed Xander's and he bent down and placed his hand on her face.

"That's it. Can you hear me, Nicole?" he asked her sweetly.

Nicole's eyes began to flap and then they slowly peeled open.

"Hey you," he smiled down on her.

"Xander?" she said with a dry, scratchy throat.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here."

"Water," she managed to utter from her dry mouth.

"Yes, of course," he said as he poured her a glass from the pitcher on the table next to the bed and then held the glass to her mouth and she began to drink it.

"Thank you, that's better," she said more clearly as she tried to awaken from her exhausted state.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired.

"Groggy, sore...hungry," she managed to crack a slight smirk despite her low level of energy.

"I bet you are," he laughed as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Wait, wait, what's going on here?" Nicole's face suddenly went from unaware of what just happened to the look of someone who just realized where she was and why she was there.

"Xander, where is my baby?" she said frantically as she felt her belly and realized she was no longer carrying her baby inside of her. "What happened to my baby?" she screamed.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," he tried to get a word in. "The baby is -"

"Oh, my God, NO! I lost our baby, didn't I? DIDN'T I?" she cried out hysterically not hearing Xander trying to tell her otherwise. "Daniel made me lose my baby!" she wept inconsolably.

"Nicole! Nicole!" he said firmly placing his hands on both of her shoulders trying to calm her down.

"Listen to me. Listen to me," he said trying to get through to her as she squirmed beneath him still out of her mind with grief.

"NICOLE," he said louder, "listen to me, sweetheart, please. Our baby is fine. She's in the nursery. You did not lose our child, I swear to you. You delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Our daughter is okay. Are you hearing me?" he said trying to get her to believe what he was saying.

"Really?" she said suddenly calming down. "You're not just saying that?"

"Yes, really. And Daniel can't hurt you anymore. He's dead. He died in the car crash, which is lucky for him because I was going to kill him myself and then I might be in jail right now instead of here with you," he said trying to lighten the mood.

"My baby isn't dead?" she said still in shock and denial.

"Nicole, our little girl is fine. I wouldn't lie to you. You gotta know that."

"Really?" she said again, but this time finally letting the words sink in.

"I promise you. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" he asked, seeking her verification.

"She's not gone?" she cried softly. "She's really okay?" she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Yes," he exhaled breathlessly realizing she finally understood. "She's really okay."

At that moment, he sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand. "I love you so much," he whispered softly as he bent down and kissed her forehead very tenderly and then wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too," she sobbed beneath him and then lifted her still very weak arms up and put them around him to feel the full effect of his loving embrace.

As they held each other, the hospital room door came open and the nurse came in with a little bundle of joy and brought her over to Nicole and Xander.

"Well, there's your mommy. Do you want to meet her?" the nurse said to Baby Micaela.

"That's my baby? That's really my baby?" Nicole asked tearfully.

"Yes, and she's a beauty," the nurse commented as she walked over to Nicole and gently handed her her daughter, who was being a little fussy in the nurse's arms.

Nicole sat there in complete awe as she looked upon her child for the first time. She was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and she was all hers and she fell in love with her and bonded with her instantly.

"Hey, Micaela, it's your mommy. Do you remember me?" she cried with joy.

The baby's crying suddenly subsided when it heard the sound of Nicole's voice. Its tiny eyes opened and she shyly looked upon the peculiar yet warm figure who was holding her. Nicole's big blue eyes and rosy cheeks fascinated the little girl almost immediately, and when Nicole smiled, the baby was no longer fussy because she was focused on her. It lay there looking upon this maternal person who was holding her and somehow Nicole felt familiar to her. She felt safe and loved like she did when she was growing inside of her mommy, so she knew she was in the right set of arms.

"Your mommy loves you so much. I've waited all my life to get to hold you," she said as she kissed her little nose.

Xander sat in silence in complete and utter awe as he let Nicole have all the time she needed with her daughter.

"Do you want to meet your daddy?" Nicole asked after doting on her little girl for a few minutes. She turned the baby toward a tearful Xander, who was still enjoying watching Nicole and her daughter bond.

"Do you know who that is? That's your daddy right there," Nicole said as she smiled up at Xander.

"Hey, there, my sweet little girl," Xander said full of emotion as he put his finger inside of his daughter's tiny little hand.

"Do you want to hold her?" Nicole all of a sudden offered.

"Are you sure you're ready to let her go?" he said being sensitive to her.

"I want you to hold your daughter, Xander. You've been with us the whole way," she replied. "I could never have done this without you."

Xander picked up his daughter from Nicole and suddenly felt all his tough guy traits fall to the wayside. He was putty in his daughter's hands from the moment he held her in his arms. He had never held something so small that meant such a great deal on every single possible level. He had been talking to his daughter for months from inside her mommy's belly and now he was meeting her for the first time and he felt an overwhelming sense of pure love and wondrous pride. He instantly felt protective over her. He knew he would do anything and everything for this little, tiny creature who just happened to be a part of the other person he loved most in the world. He was in that moment, while holding his baby girl and looking at his soon-to-be-fiance, the most fulfilled man in the world.

"Your daddy loves you so much," Xander said teary-eyed.

"She recognizes your voice," Nicole commented.

"Do you think so?" he said very proudly.

"Look at her. She's already under your spell," Nicole smiled.

Xander held her for a while longer and then lay the baby back on Nicole's chest, and then someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," Xander called out.

The door opened and Philip walked in, just the man he wanted to see.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you," he said as he made eye contact with Xander.

"Philip, come in." Xander turned around long enough to let Philip slip him the ring box and then he slid it into his pocket. "Do you want to meet our daughter?"

"Sure, I'd love to," he smiled a big smile as he went to Nicole's bedside.

"Hey, Nicole, how are you feeling?" Philip asked sincerely.

"I'm wonderful. Thank you for coming. It means a lot to us," she said appreciative.

"Where else would I be?" he replied. "Oh, would you look at that precious face? You know she got all of her looks from her mommy, Xander," Philip teased.

"I wouldn't argue with you on that," Xander agreed quickly.

"Look at you two. Nikki and Mikki, breaking hearts all over Salem," Philip teased.

"We aim to please," Nicole smirked.

"Well, I just wanted to drop in and say hi. I'm going to let y'all have your family time and get out of your hair," Philip finished his lame excuse for leaving as he looked at Xander and nodded letting him know the ball was now in his court.

"Thank you, Philip," Nicole said. "I know what you and Brady did out there for me. I'll never forget it."

"Anytime," he said with a cute grin.

"You can stay if you want. You really don't have to go," Nicole said.

Philip and Xander say in unison: "Yes, I do." "Yes, he does."

"I won't go far and there's a couple of other people who want to see you too, but I'll tell them to give you a little more time," Philip explained as he walked out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Nicole asked, feeling a weird vibe between Philip and Xander, which proved even half-medicated she was still the sharpest tool in the shed.

"It's about a lot, actually," Xander admitted as he cleared his nervous throat.

"Well, it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere any time soon..." she made a keen observation. "So get to talking."

"Nicole, I almost lost you today. I never want to feel that helpless again."

"I'm not going anywhere unless it's where you're going to be," she assured him.

"When you agreed to give me another chance when I came back to town, I knew my life would never be the same. I swore from that day on you'd never feel anything from me but loved."

"And I haven't. You have been everything to me, Xander – my support, my rock, my best friend, my hero, and after mistaking what I thought was the real thing a few times in my life, I now know unequivocally that you are the only true love of my life, because I've never been this confident and sure in a relationship in my entire life. I've never truly trusted anyone's feelings for me more than I trust in yours."

"Because I love you, I love every part of you, Nicole, just as you are and you've loved me the exact same way. No one has ever shown me love like you have shown me love. I never knew it could be like this. We were meant to be together."

"Xander, I feel the exact same way," she smiled lovingly at him through her tears. "I never knew this kind of love existed, but now I do."

Xander took a deep breath and then put his hand in his pocket and felt his fingers surround the box as he slowly pulled it out and held it up in his hand.

"What are you -" she gasped and threw her one free hand over her mouth as she watched Xander go down on one knee.

"I can't live one more day without asking you to be my wife, my partner in crime, the mother of my children, my Mrs. Kiriakis to my Mr. I want you to be the face I wake up to every morning for the rest of my life. Nicole Walker – soon to be, hopefully – Nicole Kiriakis. Will you please marry me?"

Nicole's tears ran over the back of her hand, which was still glued to her mouth, as she melted into a ball of feels looking at the man she loved more than anything in the world proposing to her in such a romantic way.

"Yes, yes, I'll marry you," she cried out in happy tears. "I'll marry you every day if you want me to," she said, meaning every single word of it.

"Did you just say yes to me?" he asked for one last confirmation.

"Of course I did. I'm not crazy," she grinned widely. "Yes, I'll happily be Mrs. Kiriakis, your wife, your partner in crime, the mother of your children, and the face you wake up to every morning, because that means you will be the handsome face I get to wake up to every morning. I'd say that's a pretty good deal," she said putting all that joy into her smile.

"God, I love you, Nicole."

"Likewise," she whispered softly through all of the happiness she was feeling inside.

Xander stood up from bended knee and slid the diamond ring on her finger and then kissed his fiancee' on the mouth over and over again in rapid succession while repeating 'I love you' over and over.

(Applause outside the room.)

"What on earth?" Nicole asked as she looked toward the cracked door. "Who's out there?"

The door flung open and Brady and Philip walked through the threshold.

"We're engaged!" Nicole said excitedly.

"We heard," Brady said, throwing a congratulatory smile their way as he walked in right behind Philip.

"Brady, I'm so glad you're here. I want to thank you for everything you did out there for me. I'll always be grateful."

"Now, come on, Nicole, you know I'd do anything for you, right?" he winked. "I'll always look out for you."

"You're the best kind of friend a girl can have, Brady Black. Now get over here and meet your – hell, I don't even know how everyone is related in this family anymore."

"She's just beautiful, Nicole," Brady stood by admiring the baby and maybe Nicole longer than he should have, stirring up some old feelings inside of him he thought were long since gone.

"She sure is beautiful," a familiar voice walked into the room with Chloe attached to it.

"Chloe, oh my God! What are you doing here?" Nicole gasped as did Philip and Brady.

"Well, I thought I was coming for a party to celebrate the 4th, but it seems I came for a birth and an engagement instead. Congratulations," she said as she walked over to Nicole's bedside with Brady and Philip simultaneously stepping backwards.

"Philip, do you mind if I talk to you outside for a second?" Brady asked Philip.

"Sure," he agreed as they stepped out of the room.

"Good to see you, Chloe," Philip smiled on his way out.

"Same here," she smiled back.

"I think I'll give you ladies a moment. By the way, I'm Xander and judging from Philip and Brady's reactions, you must be Chloe."

"Yes, I am. And you must be Xander," she grinned as she looked at Nicole and gave her the stamp of approval wink.

"It's very nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you," he commented.

"Wow, then it can't all be good," she replied.

"I assure you, it's been all good," he admitted. "But you two catch up, I'll be back in a bit. I got to go find someone. I know there's someone else who wants to say hello to my - fiancee'," Xander said proudly as he excused himself to go search for Brandon.

"Chloe, I guess you heard about Daniel. I'm very sorry."

"Yes, the hospital called me because I was on his list of emergency contacts because of Parker."

"You have to know, I had no idea he was that far gone. I don't know what happened to him. He just -"

"Nicole, I stopped by the mansion and the staff told me the short version of what happened. I know he tried to kill you, but I don't feel sorry for that bastard after everything he's put me through."

"You mean in the past?" Nicole asked.

"In the past as well as the last couple of months."

"What are you talking about, Chloe?"

"Well, that's the other reason I'm in town. These last couple of months Daniel has been following me around, stalking me, trying to convince me to take him back."

"You're kidding," Nicole gasped. "He admitted to watching me and Xander and following us around too. I guess he couldn't handle rejection well. He was so used to getting every woman he wanted."

"It's more than that. He's been crazy and obsessed all along. We should have read the signs, Nicole. I mean, he did have a thing for his patients. But last month I got a restraining order put on him after he nearly ran me off the road, and I told him he'd never see Parker again. I told I wished Philip was his father, and he let slip that Philip didn't deserve to be Parker's father after sleeping with a married woman, and he made damn sure he never got that chance. And it got me to thinking, so I had another paternity test run and it turned out that all this time Philip was Parker's father after all, and that bastard had changed the results.

"NO SHIT?" Nicole blurted out before she realized who she was still holding. "You didn't hear that, little one," she said teasingly to her baby.

"I mean, he's a doctor, I should have realized he had the means and opportunity. In my heart of hearts, I always knew Parker was Philip's."

"Don't blame yourself. The whole town was in love with Dr. Jonas, The Almighty. But, boy, it shows everyone, even the worshipped, have a dark side. Seriously, Chloe, we need to stick to the Kiriakis men. They don't pretend to be perfect. Those mama boys are the ones with the real issues."

"All I know is I've got to talk to Philip. All that time wasted. He was so hurt about losing Parker. That slime Daniel kept my son from knowing his real daddy all these years."

Said in unison by Nicole and Chloe: **"That piece of shit."** They looked at each other and cracked up despite the circumstances.

"I missed you, Chloe."

"I missed you too, Nicole."

"So what's it going to be now that you're back, Philip or Brady?" Nicole butted right on in.

"Well, Philip was the one who invited me, actually," she smirked.

"Did he now? It's about damn time," Nicole let slip.

"What does that mean?" Chloe inquired.

"Let's just say that boy has never gotten over you, but then again, I don't think Brady has either. That's quite the predicament you're in. Those are two very handsome eligible bachelors. What are you going to do?"

"Well, now that Xander is taken..." Chloe teased.

"Hey, hey, he's mine," Nicole said lifting up her ring finger to show the proof.

"Just kidding," she grinned. "But you know at one point or another in my life I've loved both of them very deeply. But Philip is Parker's father so I'm going to have to tell him right away and then I'll see how I feel, I guess. I did miss those dimples," she smiled as she looked off into la la land.

"So are you moving back to Salem for good then?" Nicole asked.

"I'm thinking about it," she smiled.

"Nicole?" Xander said as he poked his head into the room. "Sorry to interrupt."

"No, come on in, Xander. I've taken up too much of her time already. I was just leaving," Chloe said as she mouthed the words 'I'll call you' to Nicole and then left her room to go see what Philip and Brady were up to.

"There's someone here who wants to say hello," Xander told her.

"Who's left? I think I've used up all my surprise visitors for one day, don't you think?" she laughed.

"Well, what about me?" Brandon suddenly appeared in the doorway and Nicole couldn't believe her crying eyes.

"Brandon? Oh, my god, Brandon, is that really you?"

"In the flesh, sis," he smiled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly. "Get over here, will ya?" she waved her hand emphatically.

"I couldn't let my one and only niece come into the world without meeting her Uncle Brandon, now could I?" he smiled as he walked over to her swiftly and fell into her waiting arms.

"I've missed you so much," Nicole sobbed in his arms. "I can't believe you're here."

"I missed you too, baby sister. Now are you going to let go of me so I can see my niece?"

"I'm sorry, I just don't want to let you go," she exclaimed.

Brandon spent some time with Nicole and Baby Micaela while Xander stood by letting them have there moment together.

"Xander, will you come over here?" Nicole asked.

"Yes, sweetheart," he said as he approached her.

"This is my brother, Brandon," she said with a proud sister smile. "This is the other man in my life."

"I think I can deal with that," Xander said with an approving head nod. "But we were actually introduced in the waiting room. He gave me his blessing to propose to you."

"Brandon, you did that?" Nicole asked, feeling so blessed.

"I thought I'd give him a shot," he winked at her. "So did you put him out of his misery and say yes?" he teased her.

"Nicole threw her hand up and flashed her 3-carat diamond ring in front of her brother. "What do you think?"

"Welcome to the family," Brandon shook Xander's hand and she could see they genuinely respected the other.

"Awe, look at you two. You guys are going to make me cry again," Nicole said feeling all tingly inside.

"We don't mean to make you cry," Xander said as he wiped a tear from her eye.

"Yeah, would you rather I rough him up a bit; would that help?" Brandon joked.

"Very funny. I'm just so happy because" – (her voice began to crack) – "because two of the loves of my life are standing here in front of me while I hold the third in my arms," she said as she wept quietly looking at her baby girl, the man she would soon marry and share her life with, and the brother who always loved and protected her no matter what. And it suddenly dawned on her that this was the moment in her life where she finally knew what living was truly about.

The End...


End file.
